


The Heart of the Storm

by The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Injuries, Next Life, Slow Burn, Swearing, isa pov, lots of internal dialogue, recompleted, this is basically if none of the games after kh2 happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:07:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28118928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight/pseuds/The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight
Summary: The chimes for the front door sound off and he catches a glimpse of bright red from his peripheral view. He snaps his head around, practically giving himself whiplash. He rubs at his neck before setting the book down. He walks out from behind the counter and towards the aisle of bookcases that colour of red had disappeared behind. Through the shelves, he can see the colour moving. Unmistakably bright red hair. His heart speeds up, pounding in his chest. Nearly shattering his ribcage. And with each step he and the stranger take that brings them closer to the end of the row, Isa’s heart thumps even louder in his ears. Louder and louder until it’s the only sound in existence. Until he can’t breathe. And as he turns the corner—His heart stops.
Relationships: Isa & Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27
Collections: MoonFire Big Bang 2020





	The Heart of the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> "If I hadn’t loved you in this life, I’d find you in the next and love you unconditionally. And I’ll love you for every life to follow. I’ll love you with every breath. Every heartbeat. You and I may pass on, but our love never will. Much like the sun and the moon, we will be bound, and our love will exist for eternity."

He doesn’t remember much from when he initially woke up. The first couple _months_ of being recompleted are pretty much a blur. He came to, gave a group of complete strangers his name— _Isa_ —and then…nothing. Blank. He got thrown into the real world from there. A new world. One he had never seen or heard of before. It’s so strange compared to the other worlds he had come to know, as well.

For a place so crowded, it still feels so…empty. Lonely.

He tries not to think too much about the fact that he is alone. About how he’s been alone in this tiny apartment for nearly three months now. It’s always quiet. He spends most—if not all—of his free time reading. Otherwise, he’s working. At the local bookshop. Where he also spends half his time reading. Not like he has much of anything else to do. He hasn’t made very many friends since his return, after all. Acquaintances, sure. His coworkers. But no one he would necessarily go out of his way to spend time with. Then again, he’s not sure anyone would want to spend time with him, either. Even though he tries his hardest, he’s still not the most approachable person. Doesn’t have the most approachable face. That’s why he hides it behind a book.

Speaking of hiding behind books, he hesitantly lowers the book he’s currently reading after a customer advances him for his attention. The young woman shows him a book title on her phone screen—a piece of technology Isa had to adjust to these last few months—asking where to locate it. Isa directs her to the historical fiction section of the shop. The back righthand corner.

As she walks away, Isa’s gaze follows her. Just as she falls out of his line of sight, the chimes for the front door sound off and he catches a glimpse of bright red from his peripheral view. He snaps his head around, practically giving himself whiplash. He rubs at his neck before setting the book down. He walks out from behind the counter and towards the aisle of bookcases that colour of red had disappeared behind. Through the shelves, he can see the colour moving. Unmistakably bright red hair. His heart speeds up, pounding in his chest. Nearly shattering his ribcage. And with each step he and the stranger take that brings them closer to the end of the row, Isa’s heart thumps even louder in his ears. Louder and louder until it’s the only sound in existence. Until he can’t breathe. And as he turns the corner—

His heart stops.

The woman apologises for almost bumping into him, but Isa quickly brushes it off as being his own fault for not paying closer attention. He proceeds to ask if he can assist her before returning to the counter. He’s not sure if his heart has resumed beating yet. Tch. That’s what he gets for getting his hopes up. He breathes deep, taking the discarded book back into his hands and he picks up reading where he had left off.

It’s not long before he’s interrupted once again. By the first young woman. He sets his own book aside in favour of picking up the two she’s brought over to purchase. Neither are the one she had asked about originally. He doesn’t question it. Just tells her they’re both good choices. As he tells all the customers. He rings her out and sends her on her way. And the woman with the red hair takes her leave not long after. Isa can’t help but watch her as she leaves. He’s entranced by that hair colour. He’s never seen that bright of a shade of red on anyone except—

No. He can’t think about that. He can’t think about _him_. Especially when he doesn’t know what happened to him. Or where he could be. If he’s safe or alive and— _Damn it_. He had been doing so well, too. Not thinking about him. About the past. Not that he tries to think about the future, either. He tries to remain in the present. In the moment. To live his life day by day. Step by step.

The walk back to his apartment that evening feels longer than usual. Maybe he’s just tired. He doesn’t always sleep well, after all. Most nights are filled with…dreams. Bad dreams. Realistic dreams. And when he closes his eyes even after waking up, his past mistakes only continue to haunt him.

So much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time. Isa isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to make any of it right. At this rate, he’ll never get the chance to anyhow. Not when he’s alone. There’s no one to make anything up to. Just himself and his imagination. His darkest thoughts. His memories. When he’s not thinking about his regrets, though, he’s only ever thinking about—

He stops his thoughts in their tracks, taking a deep breath. He runs a hand through his hair before pulling it over his shoulder and braiding it. How many times does he have to remind himself not to think about _him_? It shouldn’t be so difficult. Except it is difficult because he _misses_ him. Like hell. Isa only wants to know that he’s safe. He doesn’t care about anything else. Doesn’t care if he never gets the chance to actually speak with him again. So long as he knows that he’s safe and sound. Happy. Recompleted. Then maybe he’d be able to rest easy. Maybe the guilt wouldn’t be so dire. Maybe it wouldn’t eat away at him.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. He hates these days. When he gets lost in his thoughts like this. Usually, he’s able to just…ignore it all. Bury it deep within the recesses of his mind. Usually. There are days, though, when that’s nearly impossible. Days when he can’t think of anything else. And after encountering that one customer at the shop today, well… He hasn’t been able to think of anyone but the long-lost redhead. Lost? Hmm. Only to Isa, perhaps. He doesn’t expect to gain back that friendship. Not after everything he had done. He doesn’t deserve a friend like that. A good friend. He’s the one who turned his back, after all.

Eyes still closed, Isa begins to rub small circles at his temples with his middle fingers. All this thinking has given him a raging headache. It’s too much for him. He needs to just let it go. It’s been three months. The chances of him ever seeing anyone from his past ever again are slim to none. Especially in a new world such as this. He needs to learn to be okay with that. To be okay with being on his own. He needs to accept this reawakening for exactly what it is.

A clean slate.

~~~~

The next couple of days pass by in a blur. Isa can’t focus on anything for longer than seven seconds. He can’t focus on any conversation without something reminding him of the past. Hearing the word _organisation_ is a given. That word almost always sends him spiraling. One of his coworkers is dating a guy named _Xavier_. Hell, even hearing that name can be triggering. Isa has spent longer than he wants to admit rearranging the letters in the name without the _X_ to try and come up with something else. Something that would give away the fact that this has all been some intricate dream. Or something to prove that it’s not really over. Because sometimes this all seems too good to be true. It’s too easy. Too—

A loud crack of thunder shakes Isa from his thoughts. Brings him back to reality. He looks out the window of the bookshop as rain starts hammering against it. Well, shit. He hadn’t been prepared for this kind of weather to hit today. He has no umbrella or jacket for his walk home. So, he can only hope the storm will pass by the time his shift ends.

The rest of the day is slow due to the weather conditions. After all, most people stop in at the shop because they’re walking by; it’s not really a destination hotspot or anything. The rain is still pouring down when Isa leaves, too. He braces himself as he closes the shop. At least the rain is warm.

He makes it back to his apartment in record time. Makes sense considering he half-jogged nearly the entire way. As soon as he’s through his front door and he hears it latch shut behind him, he strips out of his soaked clothes. He carries the discarded clothing straight to the bathroom and proceeds to jump in the shower. This warm water soothes him far more than the rainwater. The sense of being clean helps, too. When he steps out, he wraps a warm towel around his waist and makes his way for the kitchen. He opens the fridge, leaning over and pursing his lips as he tries to figure out what he wants to eat. Another crack of thunder startles him out of his decision-making. He closes the fridge and heads for his bedroom to get dressed. Once he is, he collapses onto his bed and closes his eyes. Hmm. He really should eat something, but the sound of the rain is lulling him to sleep.

His eyes shoot back open at the next roar of thunder. Then there’s a bright flash that lights up his entire room. He sits up and looks out the window. He _hates_ storms like this. They always remind him of—No. He won’t think about that. Won’t make that connection. He can’t. Otherwise he won’t be able to sleep at all tonight because he knows he’ll just have nightmares.

He forces himself back to his feet and returns to the kitchen. He pulls a can of soup out of one of his cabinets and decides on making that. While he’s warming it up, he leans against the kitchen counter and faces his empty apartment. He folds his arms across his chest, tilting his head. Huh. How mundane his life has grown to be. Not that he’s complaining. Not in the slightest. He’ll take this over fighting any day. Over filing reports. He’ll take this over white walls and black coats and golden eyes. Over obsessing about a heart-shaped moon… Because this, as boring as it may be, is so much better.

Although, there’s still one thing that would make it perfect.

The timer he had set for the food goes off at the same time as yet _another_ clap of thunder. It nearly gives Isa a heart attack. He jumps away from the counter, placing a hand to his chest. He takes deep breaths as he tries to calm himself down. He’s not exactly sure why this weather has him so anxious all of a sudden. The sooner he eats, though, the sooner he can go to sleep and forget all about it. Tch. For a little while, at least.

~~~~

Isa is awoken in the middle of the night by a violent shaking of the apartment complex. As he fully comes to, he can hear the wind whistling. Howling. The sound of rain isn’t as prominent anymore, but a flash of lightning shining through the window proves the storm is still ongoing. Isa rubs his face before running his hands through his tangled hair.

The room is dark, but he can still see the half-eaten bowl of soup sitting on the coffee table. He must’ve been more exhausted than he had realised. He picks it up and dumps it into the sink before letting out a heavy sigh. There’s a low rumble of thunder that seems to shake the apartment almost as much as the wind had. He holds tight to the countertop—knuckles going white—feeling as if he might fall over if he doesn’t. The building isn’t the only thing that’s shaking. His knees feel strangely weak.

He stumbles to his room and crawls into bed. The sheets are cold, and it isn’t the consoling feeling he had been longing for. He tries to ignore it. Tells himself it’ll warm up quickly. Or that he’ll fall asleep fast enough to not notice the chill for too long. Just as he closes his eyes, though, there’s another bright flash of lightning. And, with it, a flash of gold.

He bolts to an upright position, gasping for air. Now he’s wide awake. His face falls into his hands as he tries to ignore the image in his mind. That’s not his life anymore. It doesn’t matter how fresh the memories may be; it’s still not his life. They’re memories. Flashbacks. Nothing more. It doesn’t mean anything. It can’t. Isa has a new life now. A better life. He’s free of the darkness. Free of nothingness. Free of golden eyes. Free of berserk states. He is his own person. Somebody. Recompleted. Heart and all. Nothing can take that away from him. No memory or hallucination. No matter how real it may feel. Because it’s not real. It’s just his mind playing tricks on him. A trick of the light. Tch. How ironic.

Once his breathing evens out, Isa lay back down. He stares at the ceiling through the dark as he listens to the sound of the rain pick up again. Hmm. This storm doesn’t seem like it’ll be letting up anytime soon. The rain isn’t so bad, though. It’s the thunder and the lightning that gets to him. Listening to the sound of rain while he falls asleep is something he’s used to. Something he spent ten years doing. So maybe it _should_ bother him, but out of all his memories… Well, this one isn’t so bad. It’s not the worst, at least. And it’s simple enough. Easy enough to make himself believe that the memory could come from a different time. A better time. And that’s exactly what he tells himself. The only parts of the memory he doesn’t alter are two colours.

Red and green.

~~~~

After a week, the storm still hasn’t let up. It’s everchanging, though. Some days it’s all rain. Other days it’s all thunder. There was even one day when it had been all lightning and wind. Meanwhile, today, it’s all four.

The bookshop doesn’t see a lot of business again. That’s fine with Isa. That leaves him with more time to read. And reading allows him to escape. It allows him to forget. To not think about anything other than the words on the page in front of him.

The door chimes, signifying someone has entered the shop. Isa doesn’t bother looking up from the book. If this person needs or wants his attention, then they’ll say something. Most people who come in, though, prefer to be left alone. To browse at their leisure. And so, Isa remains focused on his book. Until, that is, he hears the _thud_ and _thump_ of multiple books falling. He lifts his head to see the kid rushing out the door and one of the displays on the floor. Isa rolls his eyes with a heavy sigh, placing his book down to step away from the front desk and recreate the presentation. This takes him all of half an hour. Ugh.

This day can’t be over soon enough.

It’s four o’clock by the time his coverage shows up and he’s able to leave. Of course, she has to talk his ear off for the first fifteen minutes of her shift. He nods along, trying his best to be polite. He’s not actually listening to a word she’s saying, though. Can’t bring himself to pay any mind to her rambling. After all, it’s just stupid drama about one of their other coworkers. Drama that he doesn’t want any involvement in. A loud roar of thunder stops her midsentence, startling her, and he uses this as his opportunity to excuse himself and finally take his leave.

The rain is coming down hard. He stopped bothering with an umbrella because it hadn’t been making his walk home any easier. It almost blew away on him one day. So, he just sucks it up. The walk is only a few blocks anyhow. And so long as he keeps his head down and his eyes on his feet, it seems even shorter.

Isa is swerving all over the sidewalk to avoid stepping in any and all puddles. The last thing he needs is for his shoes to get even more soaked than they already are. Then he turns one last corner and he’s on the homestretch. Except once he turns the corner, he collides with a body coming from the other direction. And he slams hard enough into them that he falls to the wet ground.

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” he hears them say.

Isa lifts his head and his heart stops. The breath catches in his throat. And as soon as his gaze lands on the stranger, the rain ceases and the clouds clear out, allowing for the sun to _finally_ shine through. And it’s shining right behind the stranger, illuminating the already bright red hair. Hell, even those green eyes are glowing.

“You okay, man?” the stranger goes on, now kneeling before Isa. “Didn’t mean to knock ya down.”

“It’s—” Tch. Isa isn’t sure he remembers how to breathe, let alone speak. _It’s you_. There’s no way this is real. “I’m the one who wasn’t paying attention,” he finally manages to say. “Sorry.”

The stranger smiles. It’s brighter than the sun. Then he’s standing upright again and holding out his hand, Isa hesitantly takes it, allowing himself to be helped back to his feet. That’s when the stranger looks up towards the skies.

“Huh. Weird how the storm stopped so suddenly,” he says.

Isa can’t take his eyes off him. “Yeah…”

“Well, I gotta get going,” he goes on. He slaps a hand on Isa’s shoulder. “Sorry again about knocking you over, man.” And he continues on his way.

Isa spins on his heel. “Have we met before?” he asks. He already knows the answer.

The redhead stops and looks back at him. “Uhm. I don’t think we have.”

His stomach drops. That’s not the right answer and he refuses to accept it as such. “Are—Are you sure?”

He chuckles. “I think I’d remember meeting someone with that colour hair.”

“Yeah, well, your hair colour isn’t all that common, either.”

“Touché.” He shrugs his shoulders. “We definitely haven’t ever met before, though. Sorry, man.”

“N-no worries.” Isa swallows hard. “Sorry for keeping you.”

With that, the _stranger_ crosses the street. Isa watches him until he disappears around the corner. Even after he’s gone, Isa still can’t move. He can’t process what had just happened. That was… _Lea_. Shit. They’re actually in the same town. He’s within Isa’s reach, but—He doesn’t remember. And it’s not just the Organisation, it’s…everything. He didn’t seem to remember Isa at all. Tch. How can he not remember? How is that fair? Why should Isa be the only one to have to suffer with his memories? Then again, maybe this is exactly what he deserves after all he had done. And maybe Lea—Mr. Got-It-Memorised—not remembering is for the best. Maybe it’s the only way he’ll be able to be happy and, shit, he _deserves_ to be happy. Hmm…

Maybe this is what’s meant to be.

Isa takes a deep breath before finally turning away from where he watched Lea disappear. There’s a slight tremor in the first step he takes forward. His knees are feeling weak again. He tries to ignore it. Shrugs it off as being cold due to his still-soaked clothes. And that’s what gets him the rest of the way home. The prospect of warm, dry clothes.

As soon as he’s back in his apartment, he discovers that it feels emptier than ever before. Lonelier. And while it’s never felt much like home, it feels even less like it now. Now with knowing that Lea is out there. Somewhere. Damn it. Isa let him just walk away. Why did he do that? Why…?

He looks out the window. The sun is still shining. The storm has passed. Huh. Maybe it’s the bright smile in his mind talking, but he’ll take that as a good sign.

~~~~

The days to follow remain rain-free. As pleasant of a change as it is, Isa can’t help but fret over the weather conditions. He can’t get over how the sun shone through the clouds the _moment_ he saw Lea. He can’t get over how the rain had stopped so instantaneously. Hell, he can’t get over the fact that he actually saw Lea again. Can’t get over the fact that Lea doesn’t remember him. Unless…

Isa isn’t able to get it out of his head that maybe Lea had been lying. Maybe Lea _does_ have all his memories of the past but doesn’t feel that Isa deserves to know that. Isa had been pretty shitty, after all; he wouldn’t blame Lea for pulling a stunt like that. At the same time, though, he also doesn’t believe that Lea would have it in him to stoop so low. Lea is better than that. Bigger than that.

He left work early one day and called out the next because of these thoughts. These _stupid_ thoughts. He doesn’t want to be thinking about shit like this. He doesn’t want his mind to be overwhelmed with memories. With _what if’s_ or _what could be’s_. He just wants to live a normal life. Like he has been for just about four months now.

Four months. Huh. Has Lea been in this city for the same amount of time and they’re only just now bumping into each other? After all this time? Or maybe Lea just moved here and Isa somehow managed to catch him on his first day in town. There are so many possibilities, and Isa isn’t sure which is better. Which is _worse_. All he knows is that Lea has been living his life without him. Then again, Isa has been living his life without Lea, as well. Tch. If he can even call it living. He’s only been going through the motions. Day by day.

When he’s finally ready to go back to work, it’s only after he’s decided he can stay focused long enough without getting distracted by thoughts of green eyes and sunshine and red hair and dazzling smiles. And he makes this decision based upon the fact that he finally finished the current chapter of the book he’s reading after trying for three days.

As he’s leaving his apartment in the morning, he notices the front door of the apartment across the way is wide open. He remembers seeing a post about new tenants moving in. He never pays much attention to those notices, but he figures that since these new tenants will be his neighbours, he should probably introduce himself. Not now, though. He’ll wait until he gets home from work. That way they’ll hopefully be settled down by then. But that doesn’t stop him from taking a quick peek as he passes by the open door. No one seems to be inside, so he continues on his way. Again, he’ll be able to introduce himself once he gets back from work. Besides, he’s already running a bit late, which is very unlike him.

Turns out he’s not as distraction-free as he had believed. Every time the shop door chimes, Isa’s head shoots up in hopes that the customer walking through the door will have green eyes and red hair. That has yet to be the case. Once he’s able to take his break, he steps outside for some fresh air. Everything about this situation is making him lose his mind and he doesn’t understand why. Except that’s a lie. Of course he understands why. He just wants to see Lea again and wants the chance to actually sit down and _talk_ with him. He wants to know what he’s been up to and what’s going through his mind. He wants to see him again. He wants to see him and—And he has no idea if he’ll ever get that second opportunity. That fateful day could’ve been his single chance. And if that’s the case, then he missed it.

No. He won’t accept that as an answer. It may be a big city, but it’s not _that_ big. Isa will run into Lea again. One way or another. And that moment will be more fateful than the first. That moment will change everything. Because, this time around, Isa will be ready for the storm to pass and for the sun to shine.

Before he can get to that moment, though, he has to make it through the rest of this day. And he barely does. The more he anticipates the end of his shift, the more distracted he gets. He has an hour left when he turns to his chatty coworker and tells her that he can’t stay another second. She stops talking midsentence because he’s already out the door by the time he’s sure she’s processed what he had said.

He’s back at his apartment before he knows it. He focused on every little detail of his walk home to keep his mind off Lea. The cracks in the sidewalk. The streetlights. Graffiti on the walls and different street signs. As soon as he is home, he decides to take a shower. It’s quick. He can’t spend too much time in there or his mind will wonder back to the _what if’s_ and _what could be’s_ from days prior. He still doesn’t need those thoughts.

Once he’s out of the shower, he thinks about heading across the hall to introduce himself to his new neighbours. He did say he would after work, but now he’s thinking maybe he should give them a couple more days to really settle in. There’s something nagging at him, though, telling him to go now and just get it over with. So, he gets dressed and makes his way across the hall. Once outside the door, he takes a deep breath before knocking. He can hear shuffling around inside and instantly regrets doing this. He should’ve waited until morning. Until he’s less distracted. Until his mind is in a better place. Until—

The door swings open and his teal eyes meet vibrant green ones. He stops himself before he breathes the redhead’s name. Stops himself by managing to process how strange it would be to the redhead for Isa to already know his name. They hadn’t introduced themselves before, after all. Yet here they are. Their second encounter. Tch. So much for being ready for it.

Lea grins as he folds his arms across his chest, leaning against the doorframe. “Hey there, stranger.”

It takes Isa a moment to find his voice. “H-hi…”

“You stalking me or something?”

He lets out a nervous chuckle. “Uh, no, I—I live across the hall.” He gestures at his own door behind him. “Just thought I’d stop by and introduce myself to my new neighbours, but I guess we’ve kinda met already.”

Lea is still smiling. “I guess, but I’m not your new neighbour. I’m just friends with the two kids who did move in. Hold on, I’ll go get them.”

Isa’s heart stops. His stomach drops. _I’m just friends with the two kids who did move in._ The two kids? He can’t be talking about—

“Here they are,” Lea says when he returns with the exact two kids Isa knew he had to be referring to. “This is Roxas and Xion.” He pats both of them on the shoulders respectively. “They’re the ones who moved in.” Isa swallows hard. He’s not sure if the face he’s keeping is as straight as the kids’ faces. Then there’s a beeping from inside. “Ah, I’ll get it.” And he disappears back inside the apartment.

Maybe the kids are like Lea. Maybe they don’t remember anything, either. Maybe this is a lucky break. “Hi. My name is—”

“Don’t worry, we know exactly who you are,” Roxas says. He scoffs. “This would happen. Tch. Of all the places for us to move into.”

“You live across the hall?” Xion asks.

Isa nods his head once. “Yeah.”

She takes a deep breath, pursing her lips. “Let’s get this out of the way now and just agree on keeping our distance, then. We’ll be civil with you, but we have no interest in getting acquainted.”

“Great to meet you, though,” Roxas goes on.

Before Isa has the chance to respond, Lea reappears behind the kids. He’s still all smiles and it quells Isa’s nerves. “By the way, I realised I haven’t actually introduced myself yet.” He holds out his hand. “Name’s Lea.”

There’s a moment’s reluctance before Isa takes Lea’s hand to shake it. The instant there’s contact, though, flames burst beneath Isa’s skin. He can feel it all the way up to his cheeks. “Isa,” he manages to speak up. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Isa’s eyes are locked on Lea’s. They’ve yet to release each other’s hands. They’re just staring. Holding each other’s gaze. Isa doesn’t want to look away. Doesn’t want to let go. If he does, Lea may disappear again. Tch. He’s not sure what’s come over him, but he could remain like this for the rest of the evening. Or longer.

“All right,” Roxas breaks the silence, and breaks their drawn-out handshake. “Thanks for stopping by, but we’re still getting settled, so…yeah.”

“Right.” Isa clears his throat. “My apologies.” He takes a step back. “It was nice meeting all of you. Uhm. Welcome to the building.”

“Thanks,” Xion says. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” And she closes the door.

Isa takes a shaky breath. _Holy shit_. Of all the people… He definitely hadn’t expected the kids to be the ones to have moved in across from him. A part of him almost feels…bad. A part of him had been hoping, for their sake, that they would never have to see him again. It doesn’t seem fair. Not for them, at least. Tch. To have to live across the hall from the man who pitted them against each other is a cruel punishment. And they don’t deserve it. Hmm.

They remember. Isa remembers and the kids remember, but Lea…doesn’t. It makes no sense to him. Why is Lea the only one without memories of the past? What happened during the process of his recompletion that made him forget everything? Where could all those memories have gone? Isa almost wants to tell Lea everything, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to mention anything at all. That wouldn’t be fair, either. Burdening Lea with those memories. It’s not Isa’s place. Just like it’s not his place to be standing outside the kids’ front door. He has no right to interact with them. To try and befriend them. To try and get acquainted with them. Lea, on the other hand…

Hand.

He glances down at his right hand. There’s still a slight tingling sensation coursing through his fingers. His skin still feels warm. His cheeks flushed. Hell, this is the most emotion he’s felt since he’s been recompleted. And while he has no idea what it means, he does know that he doesn’t want to let this feeling go. He doesn’t want to let Lea go—won’t let Lea go—now that he’s back in his life. And he will be a part of his life again. Isa will make sure of it. Because, without Lea, there’s never been a point in existing.

~~~~

Isa keeps to himself for the next few days. Keeps his distance. He checks the hallway before leaving his apartment. Uses the stairs rather than the elevator. Especially in the mornings. He does everything in his power to avoid any possible encounter with either of the kids.

He’s coming home from work when he’s too exhausted to walk up four flights of stairs. So, he opts for the elevator. It’s empty, after all. When it reaches the fourth floor, though, and the doors open, he sees the kids standing on the other side, waiting. And Lea is with them.

The redhead smiles at the sight of him. “Hey, man, how are ya?”

Isa swallows hard. “Tired, actually.” He steps off the elevator. “How are you?”

“We’re doing good,” he says. “Heading out to grab a bite to eat.” His eyes light up. “You should totally come with us.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Isa notices Roxas roll his eyes and Xion’s stance stiffen. Isa’s weight shifts from one foot to the other. “I appreciate the invitation, but I really am tired. I’d rather just go home and relax.”

“No problem. Another time, maybe.”

“Y-yeah, maybe.”

“Can we go now?” Roxas speaks up.

Isa and Lea turn to find that both kids have stepped onto the elevator. Roxas is holding his arm out to keep the doors open. Lea scratches the back of his head, chuckling. Isa can’t help the small smile. Some things never change. Lea then waves goodbye before following the kids onto the elevator. Isa stands and watches as the doors close. He then takes a deep breath and continues to his apartment. _I’d rather just go home and relax_. As true as that is, Isa won’t be able to relax. Can’t relax. Not when he’s thinking about Lea and how he’s supposed to befriend him all over again. Especially with how fiercely protective the kids are of him. Understandably so. If their roles were reversed, Isa would protect Lea the same way.

Able to focus for once, Isa spends the evening reading on the couch, it’s nearly 9p when there’s a knock on his door. He sets the book down and hesitantly goes to answer it. Much to his surprise, the kids are standing on the other side when he opens it.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asks. He doesn’t mean for it to come across sarcastic, but he’s most certain it does.

“You need to stay away from Lea,” Roxas says.

Isa’s initial instinct is to go on the defencive. “What does it matter? He doesn’t seem to remember anyway.”

“He doesn’t,” Xion says. “If he ever does remember, though, he doesn’t deserve to have to deal with you.”

“We don’t even wanna deal with you.”

He folds his arms across his chest. “You don’t have to. I can still be friends with Lea without having to ever interact with either of you.”

Xion shakes her head. “Sure, but Lea never tells us no. We’re just as inseparable now as we were before. And you won’t get between that. You won’t get between us.”

He tries not to let that statement sting. “Lea is his own person, and he can make his own decisions. This would be one of them.”

“Except we’re telling you to stay away from him,” Roxas takes back over. “Having to act like we don’t know each other makes things way more complicated than they need to be. And I don’t wanna have to give Lea some bullshit excuse as to why I don’t like you. So, it’ll just be easier if you let it go now.”

Isa bites his tongue. Literally and figuratively. He can’t choke the words back, though. “You know, Lea and I were friends _before_ the Organisation, so—”

“Well, he doesn’t remember that either, so…” Xion shrugs her shoulders. “If you wanna be the bigger person here, then you’ll stay away.”

He clenches his jaw. Damn it. He doesn’t want to argue. Doesn’t want to be the bad guy anymore. Besides, maybe they’re right. Maybe he should just stay away. Save both Lea and himself the heartache. Just because they were friends before doesn’t mean they need to be friends again. Hmm…

“I’ll do what I can to be neutral,” Isa goes on. “I won’t actively engage him, nor will I flat out ignore him. If he tries to form a friendship, though, I will not turn him away.”

Roxas rolls his eyes. “Whatever.” And he heads across the hall.

Xion’s head is turned down. She winces slightly as the door slams shut. Then she breathes deep before looking back up at Isa. “Did you remember everything right away or did it take you a little while?”

He’s taken aback by this question. By the sudden shift in attitude. “Yes, I’ve remembered everything from the moment I woke up.”

She nods. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? Of all the people to forget…”

With that, she turns and takes the couple steps across the hall to her own apartment. Huh. What was that about? Isa is left standing with his own door still wide open as he tries to process those last few moments.

Soon enough, he shakes his head and closes the door. _We’re just as inseparable now as we were before_. The words are still ringing in Isa’s ears. Still stinging beneath his skin. The last thing he wants is to feel jealous of Lea’s friendship with the kids. He knows just how much they mean to the redhead. But it was that friendship that practically destroyed Isa in the first place. Destroyed _Saïx_. He couldn’t admit it at the time, but he understands now that he reacted the way he had because he had been jealous. Tch. He never wants to feel that way again. He wants to be more open. More accepting.

It may not matter in the long run. After all, if he acts indifferent about forming any sort of relationship with Lea, then the redhead may not waste his time. That thought terrifies Isa. The thought of knowing Lea is within his reach but has slipped from his grasp… He’s not sure he can handle the grief of losing him all over again. How could he? Better yet, why should he?

He and Lea were best friends before the Organisation. _Well, he doesn’t remember that, either_. Memories or not, they’ll be friends again. Best friends. They’ll be—

Hell, at this point, Isa will take what he can get. Even if it ends up being just a piece of Lea. It’s still the piece of himself that he’s missing. The piece he needs to truly be complete.

~~~~

About another week passes before Isa sees Lea again. And when he does, it’s on his way home from work. He steps off the stairwell and through the door leading to his floor and spots Lea sitting in front of the kids’ apartment. He makes his way down the hall, chuckling under his breath at the sight.

“Did they put you in timeout?” Isa asks once he’s at his front door.

Lea lifts his head and grins. “Nah, they’re just running late.” He gets to his feet. “Mind if I wait for them at your place?”

Isa doesn’t have it in him to tell Lea _no_. Doesn’t want to tell him no. “Yes, of course.” He unlocks the door and lets Lea go in ahead of him. “Make yourself comfortable.”

He looks around a bit. “No offence, but it’s kinda boring. Don’t you wanna decorate your walls or something?”

Lea isn’t wrong; Isa hasn’t done much in the form of decorating since he’s reawakened. “I will once I find a place that actually feels like home,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders. “Right now, this is just a place I live.”

Lea nods his head. “I get that.” He collapses onto the couch. “Roxas and Xion are the exact opposite. Their walls are _covered_ with pretty much everything they’ve ever come across that they’ve found interesting.”

And Isa gets that. The Castle had been bare, after all. He understands why they would want to decorate the hell out of their home. “Nothing wrong with that.” He pauses. “So, uh…” He clears his throat. “How long have you known them?”

“A couple months.”

So, Lea has been around, after all. Huh. “And how did you meet?”

“Oh, we all work together.”

“Where do you work?”

“This little hole in the wall restaurant downtown. I’m a host and Roxas and Xion are both servers.” He tilts his head, seemingly lost in thought. “I dunno. I met them and we all just sorta…clicked. It felt like I had already known them my entire existence, y’know?”

Isa’s heart skips a beat. He tries not to feel hurt. “Your entire existence?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Most people tend to say _life_ instead.”

Lea grins. “Well, I ain’t most people.”

Isa can’t help but smile in return. He even feels a bit of heat rise to his cheeks. He’s not entirely sure why, though. “They seem like good kids.”

“They are,” he says. “They both have a good head on their shoulders.”

“They also seem a bit young for someone your age to be spending so much time with.” A trivial matter, perhaps, but Isa can’t stop himself from bringing it up.

Lea laughs in response. “Yeah, they’re only, like…eighteen.”

Huh? Eighteen? Isa knows that’s not right. It can’t be. It hasn’t been that long since he was destroyed as a Nobody. And they weren’t that old during their time with the Organisation, so there’s no way they’re already that old now. And his confusion must be written all over his face.

“Ya saw right through that, didn’t you?” Lea goes on.

He quirks an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Promise not to tell?”

He breathes deep. “Cross my heart.”

Lea’s back on his feet and standing before Isa in an instant. “Okay. So, they’re actually only sixteen. They’re both on their own, though. No family or anything. Although, they do refer to each other as brother and sister, but that’s beside the point.” He shakes his head. “Either way, they kinda had to lie about their age to be able to get a place to live and a more sustainable job. Two years ain’t so bad, though, right? I mean, it’s passable and it’s not a huge difference to lie about.”

Sixteen. “No, that’s not so bad at all.” And it makes much more sense. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks, man.”

There’s a knock on the door. Isa dreads having to answer it. Doesn’t want to answer it. He wants to spend more time with Lea. On his own. Just the two of them. Selfish as it may sound, he wants Lea to ditch the kids for him. He wants Lea to—

“That’s probably Roxas and Xion,” Lea speaks up, breaking Isa out of his thoughts.

“R-right.” Isa heads for the door. His hand hesitates before grabbing hold of the knob and opening it. Roxas and Xion are indeed standing on the other side.

“There you are,” Xion says, looking right past Isa. Right through him. “Sorry for making you wait so long.”

“No worries,” Lea says. “You guys should get home late from work more often.” He places a hand on Isa’s shoulder. “Gives me more time with this guy.” He looks over at him and winks. “You don’t mind, do ya?”

Isa is most certain his face is bright red. “Not at all.” The words are out of his mouth before his brain can even process them. Lea is smiling at him, though, and that’s all that matters. Hell, that smile is stronger than the scowls from the kids. “I definitely do not mind.”

“Okay. Great,” Roxas speaks up. “Let’s go.”

“Hold on,” Lea says. “Why don’t we all just hang out here?” He gestures around at Isa’s apartment before gesturing to him. “So long as that’s all right with you.”

Roxas shakes his head. “Yeah, I don’t want to.” With that, he’s across the hall and on the other side of his front door in a heartbeat.

Xion clears her throat. “Sorry, it’s just—We’re tired. We’d rather be at our own home for the night.” She then disappears behind the door, as well.

“Tch.” Lea’s hands fall to his hips. “Sorry about them. I don’t know—”

“They don’t like me,” Isa says, straightforward. “It’s fine.”

He seems a bit taken aback by this response. “It’s not fine. It’s not _fair_. They don’t even know you.” He lets out a soft sigh. Tch. If only Lea knew how untrue that is. Isa keeps his mouth shut, though. “What kind of schedule do you work?” Lea then asks.

“Uhm. Usually mornings until about four.”

“Huh. Pretty much the opposite of my schedule, but I think I can still make it work.” Isa tilts his head and opens his mouth to inquire the meaning behind Lea’s statement, but the redhead is stepping through the doorway and into the hall before Isa can get the words out. “Thanks for letting me hang for a bit,” Lea goes on. He gives Isa a single wave of his hand. “I’ll see you around.”

Isa waves back almost mindlessly. “Yeah—” By the time the word has been spoken, Lea is already on the other side of the door across the hall. Isa takes a deep breath. “See you…”

~~~~

It only takes another couple of nights before there’s a knock on Isa’s door. He tries not to get too excited as he goes to answer it. But when he finds that it is, in fact, Lea standing on the other side, his heart skips a beat.

The redhead holds up a bag with a grin. “Hope you like Asian cuisine.” Isa answers simply by gesturing for Lea to come inside. “I got a pretty good variety,” he goes on as Isa closes the door behind him, and he makes himself comfortable on the couch, “including shit even I don’t like just to be safe and fair, so hopefully you like some of it.” He pats the spot next to him. “C’mon, sit. Let’s eat.”

Lea. Spontaneous as ever. Isa finds it endearing. He takes the empty seat beside him and Lea digs into the bag, pulling all the containers out. He spreads them across the coffee table as Isa gets up to grab plates. He’s not a picky eater, so he takes a little bit of everything. Lea, on the other hand, is very obvious about his preferred platters. Isa chuckles to himself as he watches the redhead pick and choose his favourites. They then spend some time eating in comfortable silence before any sort of conversation starts.

“So, what made you wanna do this?” Isa asks.

“I have the night off, but both the kids are working, and I honestly hate being alone,” Lea says.

“So, if the kids weren’t working—?”

He raises a hand holding a fork full of food. “I’m gonna stop you right there.” He takes the bite and swallows. “That is not what I was getting at.”

He holds back a grin. “Is that why you spend so much time over at their place, then?”

“Yeah. I live on my own because finding a roommate is too much of a hassle. It would also be kinda weird for me to live with a couple teenagers. It’s like you said the other day, y’know? I mean, I already get strange looks from our coworkers just for spending as much time with them as I do. But then it’s also like I said,” he swallows the last bite of food he had taken, “they have no family. They see each other as siblings, but they see me as a big brother, too.” He shrugs his shoulders. “What am I supposed to do? I ain’t just gonna abandon them.”

Isa chuckles softly. “Always one to take in strays.”

Lea is too focused on his next bite of food to process Isa’s comment. “What was that?”

“Nothing.” The statement wasn’t meant to be heard. “So, where do you live?”

“Oh.” Another swallow. “Uhm. You know that old bookshop downtown?” he asks, and Isa nods his head. “I live right around the corner from there.”

Isa is still nodding. “I work at that bookshop.”

Lea’s face lights up. “No shit? Man, I’ve lived here for—Hell, I don’t even know how long, but I’ve never gone into that place.” He smiles and nudges Isa’s shoulder. “Now I have a reason to check it out.”

Heat rushes to Isa’s cheeks, but he can’t tear his gaze away from the redhead. Can’t turn his head away from that smile. Those shining eyes. There’s something behind that look he has never noticed before. Something drawing him in…

Until he comes to his senses.

Isa shakes his head. “You had been coming from the opposite direction that day we ran into each other.”

Lea tilts his head thoughtfully. “Oh.” He sets his plate down. “I had actually been coming from here that day. I had gone with the kids when they took a tour of their place.”

“Ah.” He pauses, his gaze now falling to his lap. Then it moves to Lea’s discarded plate. “Are you done?”

“Hell no,” Lea says. He picks his plate back up, which isn’t even empty yet, and piles more food onto it. “I’m not wasting any of this.”

“Where do you put it all?”

He laughs. “You think I’m bad? You should see the way Xion eats. Blows my mind. I have no idea how that girl is so small.”

Now Isa is the one laughing and Lea instantly looks over at him. The abruptness of it causes him to freeze. “What’s wrong?”

There’s a twitch of a smile at the corners of Lea’s lips. “N-nothing.”

This time, Isa is able to turn his gaze away as his cheeks heat up. “Are you thirsty?”

“Yeah, definitely. Drinks are the one thing I forgot.”

He gets to his feet and makes his way for the kitchen. “What would you like?”

“What do ya got?”

He rummages through his fridge and inside his cabinets. “Uhm…” He clears his throat. “Tap water.”

Lea bursts into laughter. It’s music to Isa’s ears. Makes him stop just to watch him. To watch the look of pure bliss on his face. Hmm. He wonders if that’s why Lea had turned to look at him earlier. Had he had that same thought when he heard Isa laugh? Tch. No. There’s no way that’s possible.

“Sounds perfect,” Lea says once he’s calmed himself down.

It takes Isa a moment to recall what he’s talking about. He then shakes his head and grabs two glasses. He fills them both with tap water and returns to the couch.

“How long do you plan on staying?” Isa soon asks.

“Why? Are you kicking me out?” He leans back, spreading out across the couch, seemingly making himself even more comfortable. “Because that’s not being a very polite host.”

“N-no, not at all. I’m only—” He swallows hard. “Sorry. I don’t have people over often.” A pause. “Ever.”

Lea sits up again. “Oh. Uhm.” Now he seems uncomfortable. “Sorry for intruding.”

Isa’s hand shoots over to Lea, as if to stop him from getting up despite the fact that he made no move to actually stand. “No, that’s not what I meant. It’s not an intrusion, I just—” He reels his hand in after realising it had landed on Lea’s knees and tries to keep the heat out of his cheeks. “I’m just not used to it.”

With that, he grins and returns to his relaxed stance on the couch. “Well, I’m honoured to have been invited into your home, then. Oh, I’m sorry.” He clears his throat. “Into the place in which you live.”

He laughs at this. Whole-heartedly. And it feels _good_. “Either way, I only asked when you planned on leaving out of curiosity.”

“Right. Well,” he shrugs his shoulders, “I figured I’d stay until you do kick me out.”

Isa isn’t sure he will kick Lea out. He hates being alone, too, but at this point, it’s just what he’s accustomed to. Doesn’t mean he’s come to enjoy it. But those thoughts aren’t meant to be spoken out loud. So, he lets Lea do most of the talking for the rest of the evening. And it’s close to midnight when they hear the shuffling of feet out in the hall and the kids’ front door open and close. The sound distracts them both, and it’s perfect timing because Lea had just brought them to the topic of dating. Not a topic Isa wants to get invested in.

“Will you head over there now?” Isa speaks up.

“Probably not,” Lea says. “I’m sure they’re exhausted.” He looks at the coffee table of half-eaten food. “I should probably get going, considering how late it is.” He starts to pack up the empty containers.

Isa doesn’t want him to go. “Right.” But he won’t keep him here, either. “Makes sense.”

He grabs all the trash and heads for the door, Isa following him. “I had fun tonight,” Lea goes on after Isa has opened the door for him. “I hope you enjoyed yourself, too.”

He smiles softly. “I did.”

He returns the smile. “Great. Then we should do this again.”

“W-we should.”

He nods his head once. “Okay. G’night.”

“Have a safe walk home,” Isa says.

“Will do.”

Isa watches Lea as he makes his way down the short hall. Watches him as he steps onto the elevator. Watches him until the doors close, pulling him from his sight. Then he hears someone clear their throat, and he jumps when he notices Roxas leaning against the frame of his open doorway. Isa swallows hard, unsure of what to say. He doesn’t want to say a single word. So, he starts to head back inside his own apartment.

“Just don’t be a prick this time around, yeah?” Roxas calls after him.

Isa stops before closing the door and glances over his shoulder. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He then pushes the door and softly clicks it shut.

He’ll take that as being given the kids’ blessing. As an approval.

~~~~

Isa does start spending a lot more time with Lea. The redhead enjoys dropping by with takeout quite often, but Isa isn’t complaining. They sit on the couch and eat and talk and it feels… _normal_. And that feeling means everything to Isa. It means that the past truly is behind them. What isn’t easy for him is wanting to make references to their past and having to stop himself because he knows Lea won’t be able to understand. He doesn’t remember their childhood together. Growing up together. He doesn’t remember Radiant Garden or when they would sneak out of their homes in the middle of the night. It’s the little things like this that Isa misses being able to share, but at the same time… Part of him is still okay with the fact that Lea doesn’t remember. He’s okay with this fresh start. With being able to rebuild their friendship without the weight of the past. The pain of the past. And he can still make up for it in subtle ways.

Yeah…this is definitely okay.

Isa is at work when he sees the redhead next. He hears the chime of the shop door opening but is too focused on his book to look up. He doesn’t react until the book is physically pulled from his hands. He opens his mouth to object, but then he’s met with vibrant green eyes and he’s at a loss for words.

Lea grins. “Surprise.”

He almost forgets how to speak. “What are you doing here?”

“Let’s get lunch.”

Isa looks around them. “Uhm. I’m at work.”

“Do you not get a lunch break?”

“Not long enough to actually go out to lunch.”

“Skip out on the rest of the day, then. Tell them you don’t feel well.”

He shakes his head, chuckling. “You shouldn’t be hanging out with kids; you are a terrible influence.”

Lea laughs, as well. “You’re not wrong. Now,” he slams his hand down on the front desk, “I’ll give ya ten minutes to come up with an excuse and meet me outside.”

He’s out the door without giving Isa the chance to respond. He lets out an incredulous little chuckle before calling his coworker to the front of the shop. And he does proceed to give her some bullshit excuse about how he suddenly doesn’t feel well anymore. Lucky for him, she’s gullible and naïve and too nice for her own good. He hates to use those qualities against her, but he’ll do just about anything to spend more time with Lea. So, she falls for Isa’s poor performance and lets him leave early.

As soon as Isa is out of the shop, he hears clapping. He turns and sees Lea standing there, giving him the round of applause. “Bravo, man.”

Isa shakes his head, but he’s laughing again. “You’re an idiot.”

Lea is still grinning, but he doesn’t say anything back. They then start their way down the sidewalk, Isa following Lea’s lead. They cross the street and head a few blocks away from the bookshop. Isa doesn’t question where they’re going, but he has an idea.

“Is this where you work?” he asks once they arrive at the restaurant.

Lea smiles yet again. “What gave you that idea?” He opens the door and gestures inside. “After you.”

Isa holds back a blush as he steps inside, but he allows Lea to take the lead once more afterwards. He follows him up to the check-in stand. It’s not long before Roxas appears beside it.

“Hey, guys,” he greets them. “Welcome to The Sunset Room.” He grabs two menus. “Right this way.” They follow him to their table, and they take their seats before he sets the menus down. “Your server will be right with you.”

“I thought you said the kids are servers,” Isa says once Roxas is gone.

“Yeah, but they’ll host now and then for the lunch hours,” Lea says.

He nods. “This is a nice place,” he then goes on. “Why is it called The Sunset Room?” It’s a fitting name for a place for these three to work.

“Oh, the room gets filled with this gorgeous orange and red tint while the sun is setting,” Lea says. “I’ll have to bring you here during that hour sometime.”

“Do you enjoy the sunset?”

“And long, romantic walks on the beach.” He winks at him and laughs. “Kidding.” He puts his hands up as if surrendering. “But yeah, twilight is my favourite time of day.”

Isa already knew this. “I prefer nighttime, myself, but only because I enjoy stargazing.”

Just then, Xion stops at the table with two glasses of water. “Hello, hello,” she says as she sets the glasses down. “I see the menus haven’t been touched yet. Should I give you a few more minutes and come back?”

“Not necessary,” Lea says, picking up the menus. “I’ll take my usual and Isa will have the Full Moon Rotisserie.” He doesn’t take his eyes off Isa while he orders.

Xion takes the menus from him. “Uhm. Okay. I’ll put that right in.” And she walks away towards the back.

Isa isn’t necessarily sure how to react. To the way Lea is staring at him or to someone ordering for him. Especially without even glancing at the menu himself. “The Full Moon Rotisserie?”

He finally drops his gaze to unfold his napkin and rest it across his lap. “Rotisserie chicken with pasta simmered in a white wine sauce served with green beans roasted in olive oil with garlic and shallots.”

He purses his lips. “That does sound amazing.” He then pauses as he follows suit with his own napkin. “Is your meal called the Sunshine Steak or something?”

He scrunches his nose. “Clever.”

Lea carries the conversation while they wait for their meals. Once they have them, they fall silent to eat. Isa’s dish tastes as incredible as it sounds. And he can’t help but wonder as to why Lea ordered him a meal referred to as the _full moon_. It’s little things like this that give Isa the impression that maybe Lea subconsciously remembers more than he realises. Little things like this that give him hope. That make him question just how okay he is with Lea not remembering.

When Xion brings the check, Isa reaches for it, but Lea snags it. “This is my treat,” he says. “No peeking.”

Isa shakes his head. “I am not letting you pay for me.”

“I work here. Who says I have to pay?”

He rolls his eyes. “You’re such an ass.”

“Wow. An idiot and an ass all in one day. Yikes.”

“Yeah. You better get it memorised.”

Lea freezes. “What did you just say?”

Isa swallows hard. _Shit_. That may have been too much. “You better…get it memorised.” This time, he speaks the words slowly. Softly. After all, there’s no going back now.

“What—? Where did you get that from?”

“I’m not sure.” He takes a sip of his water, his throat uncomfortably dry. “I don’t think I got it from anything in particular; it’s just what came out.”

He nods almost like he doesn’t believe him. “Right…” He signs off on the check. “Let’s go. I’ll walk you home.”

The walk is quiet. Isa tries to start a conversation a couple different times, but none of the topics catch on. Tch. Damn it. He wishes he could go back and undo that _got it memorised_ comment. He spoke before thinking. Hadn’t been thinking at all when he said it. And now Lea seems hung up on it. Isa isn’t even sure why. He hasn’t heard Lea say it in all the time they’ve spent together so far. So, he hadn’t expected it to be such a big deal.

They make it to the complex and Lea still walks Isa up to the fourth floor and straight to his door. That alone is a good sign. That’s what he tells himself, at least.

“Thank you for lunch,” Isa says. “And I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”

Lea shakes his head. “No. Why would you think that?”

“Well, you’ve been unusually quiet ever since we left the restaurant.”

He’s still shaking his head. “You didn’t say anything wrong. I’m just…lost in thought.” He flashes a smile. “Thanks for ditching work to go to lunch with me. And it’s good to see the kids getting better with you.”

“I’m sure they were just trying to remain professional.”

“No, they really are getting better. They’ll ask me how you are here and there, y’know? So, they’re definitely coming to terms with the fact that we’re becoming friends.”

Friends. Right. Huh… Why does that statement sting so much? The same kind of sting as Xion’s _inseparable_ comment. Isa tries to shake it off. “Either way—” He has no idea what to say now. “Thank you.”

Lea smiles softly. “No problem. I’ll, uh—I’ll see ya later.”

“Hold on,” Isa calls after him once he’s already about halfway down the hall. “We’ve been hanging out for at least a month now, but I don’t even have your number yet.”

His smile grows. “I thought you’d never ask.” He walks back up to him and they exchange their phones to put their numbers in. “I’ll text you as soon as I’m home,” Lea says as they give back their phones.

“Sounds good,” Isa says.

With that, he allows Lea to finally take his leave. He shuts his front door and slumps against it. _You better get it memorised_. Tch. Isa is the real idiot. The real ass. Saying that had been such a mistake. And he doesn’t even fully understand how. Hmm. He lets out a heavy sigh before looking at the clock. It’s barely three in the afternoon.

It’s gonna be a long night.

~~~~

The next few weeks are filled with lots of text conversations, but Isa doesn’t get the chance to actually see Lea in person. Hell, he barely even sees him over the kids’ place. That’s the only thing keeping him from believing that Lea is just avoiding him.

There’s more rain, too. Isa hates it. It’s not as comforting as it used to be. It’s soft, though, which makes it a bit more bearable. But it’s a chillier rainfall. Leaves Isa feeling numb more than anything.

Isa shakes out his umbrella when he gets back to the complex that afternoon and makes his way for his locked mailbox. He tries the combination once and gets it wrong. Shit. He doesn’t check this thing often enough to—

“What’s wrong?” Roxas suddenly appears beside him and unlocks his own mailbox on the first try. “Can’t unlock it? Didn’t…get it memorised?” He grins and glances over at Isa who lets out a heavy sigh, his head dropping. Roxas just laughs. “I cannot _believe_ you actually said that to him.”

“It honestly was not on purpose,” Isa says. “It just…slipped out.”

“You expect me to believe that?” He closes his mailbox. “C’mon, admit it. You totally said it to try and get a reaction out of him. Or to see if it would trigger something.”

“No, I really didn’t. It was just a stupid thing I said without thinking first.” He shakes his head, holding back a scoff. “How do you even know about that? Did Lea tell you? Or did you or Xion overhear me?”

“Xion overheard it. She could tell that it had really thrown Lea off, too.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Honestly, a part of her had been hoping it _would_ trigger something, but…” And a heavy sigh. “Either way—”

“Had a part of you not been hoping it would trigger his memories?”

“That’s not what I meant. I just think it’s more complicated than that.”

He nods his head. “Have the two of you tried anything in an attempt to bring his memories back?”

“We haven’t really come across anything to try. I mean, there’s nothing in this place that’s even reminiscent of Twilight Town, so—”

“Hold on,” that comment catches Isa off guard, “what about the ice cream shop?”

Roxas quirks an eyebrow. “The ice cream shop?”

His eyes widen a bit. “I’m sorry, how long have you been here?” He chuckles a bit. “There’s an ice cream shop right downtown. I mean, it even has a sea salt flavour.”

His hands go to his head as his eyes widen now. “Are you serious?”

“Why would I lie about this?”

“Holy shit…” He falls quiet, his gaze on the floor. He then turns it towards the door and Isa’s gaze follows. “I’ll keep that in mind for a sunnier day,” Roxas goes on. “Then all we’ll need is a new version of the clock tower.” He clears his throat before bringing his attention back to Isa. “Thanks for letting me know about that.”

“Yeah, of course.” He smiles softly.

With that, Roxas heads back up to the fourth floor. Isa remains where he is, letting him go on ahead. He’s not entirely sure why; it would’ve made no difference if he had gone up with him. Perhaps he’s taken aback by the first normal conversation he’s had with the kid. Perhaps—

The front door of the complex swings open and Lea steps in from the rain. He smiles as soon as he sees Isa. “You just getting home?”

He mindlessly smiles back. “Kind of…”

“Then talk about perfect timing.” He holds up a bag. “Hope you’re hungry.”

Perhaps he stayed behind because he subconsciously knew Lea would be arriving shortly. Hmm. Some people would call that fate. Destiny. Serendipity. Isa doesn’t care what it’s called. All he cares about is the sound of the pattering rain going silent as Lea’s voice crashes like a wave in his ears. Drowns the thoughts in his mind. And every time Isa resurfaces, he only finds himself diving in deeper.

~~~~

After his talk with Roxas, Isa can’t stop thinking about the ice cream shop. He wants to try it out for himself now. He’s gone a few times, but he’s never got the sea salt flavour. Every time there was something telling him it wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t taste the same. But now he wants more than anything to try it. And he wants to try it with Lea. Except he also wants to let the kids have that moment with Lea. It was more their thing, after all. And Isa would never want to take that away from them.

Besides, the rain hasn’t stopped. And the dreary weather doesn’t put Isa in the mood for ice cream. It does set the atmosphere for his nightmares, though. He had been doing well for a while… Ever since meeting Lea, as a matter of fact. Then spending so much time with Lea seemed to be helping, as well. Now, though, the time he spends with the redhead is sporadic. Much like the storm.

One night, Isa is awoken by a loud crack of thunder. Except he wakes up in a cold sweat, so maybe it hadn’t been the thunder. Maybe it had been the dream. The infamous nightmare.

He takes a deep, shaky breath and reaches for his phone. It’s two o’clock in the morning, but something is telling him he should call Lea. So, he does. And it only rings once before he answers.

“Isa?” he says. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just—” He stops himself, almost at a loss for words. “I’m so sorry.” Hell, he hadn’t been expecting him to actually pick up. Especially not as quickly as he did. “This is going to sound childish, but… I had a bad dream.”

“Don’t apologise. What happened?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain.” Impossible, really. His nightmares always have something to do with the Organisation. There’s no way to explain that discreetly. “It’s not so much the dream I wanna talk about, either. Having company is calming in and of itself.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

They fall silent. Isa listens to Lea’s steady breathing. Focuses on it. Wonders what the beat of his heart may sound like. And he must doze off because when he comes to next, it’s just about three o’clock in the morning and the phone call has ended. He debates calling Lea again just to let him know he’s feeling better, but he decides against it. He’d rather not risk waking him a second time for such a pointless reason.

But then he hears knocking on his front door. He freezes, thinking that maybe he imagined it. There it is again, though, just a moment later. Confused, he slips out of bed and makes his way through the dark apartment. He gets to the door and waits another second before opening it.

“Lea?” he says, taken aback to find the redhead standing on the other side. “What are you doing here?”

“You said yourself that company helps,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “So, I’m here to keep you company.”

The breath catches in Isa’s throat and he feels the sharp prickle of tears behind his eyes. “You didn’t have to come all this way…”

“It’s really not that far. And it’s really worth it.”

Isa has no idea what comes over him. Before he has the chance to convince himself it’s a terrible idea, though, he’s throwing himself into Lea’s arms. Despite how wet his clothes are, he buries his face in the crook of Lea’s neck and wraps his arms around his torso while Lea rubs his hands up and down Isa’s back. And Isa is—Hell, he’s _crying_. And he wants to be embarrassed but he only feels comforted. Safe and sound.

Lea hushes him gently. “It was just a dream,” he says, his voice barely audible. “Whatever hurt you in it, can’t hurt you now. Especially not while I’m around. I won’t let anyone or anything lay a hand on you.”

Isa pulls Lea closer. Holds him tighter. He’s not sure he’ll ever let him go, either. Hell, he doesn’t even notice that Lea has pushed them through the threshold into Isa’s apartment and has closed the door behind them. He’s too busy breathing in his scent. Basking in it. The smell of woodsmoke and honey. He’s never smelt anything better.

Lea is still rubbing at his back. “Do you wanna talk about it yet?”

“Not really,” Isa says, his voice muffled. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise. C’mon, didn’t I tell you that already?”

He chuckles half-heartedly. “Right.” He forces himself to push away from Lea. “Thank you for being here.” He doesn’t even have to be here. And the fact that he is—Hell, Isa doesn’t know what to make of it. Doesn’t know how to respond to his kindness. Doesn’t deserve this kindness. The comfort. He wants to hold Lea close and push him away at the same time. Instead, he clears his throat. Breathes deep. Tries to stop the tears. “Do you want coffee or something?”

“Coffee? At this hour?”

“I probably won’t be going back to sleep.”

“If that’s the case, then coffee would be great.”

Isa now forces himself to step away from Lea altogether. He turns on the lamp sitting on the end table by the couch and heads into the kitchen. He grabs the carafe and fills it with water. He then grabs the mix and scoops it into the filter. By the time he’s finished with the prepping and has the coffee brewing, he turns to see Lea still standing awkwardly by the front door.

“Let me get you some dry clothes,” Isa says. He heads to his room, grabbing an old tee, a pair of sweats, and a towel. He then returns to Lea. “Here. These should fit.”

“Thanks, man.” Lea takes it all from him. “I’ll be right back.”

He makes his way across the apartment and to the bathroom. Once he comes back out, Isa has just finished pouring them both a cup of coffee. When he turns and sees Lea in his clothes, he _melts_. Lea heads for the couch and sits himself down. As soon as he is sitting, he opens his arms and Isa nearly jumps into his lap. Nearly, but not quite. He keeps control of his odd urges and sits beside Lea before leaning into his open arms and resting his head on his chest. Lea is warm. And Isa can hear his heartbeat.

“I’m ready to listen when you’re ready to talk,” Lea soon speaks up.

Isa glances up at him and Lea returns the gaze. He brings a hand up, brushing Isa’s hair out of his face before just stroking his hair. Lea’s eyes glimmer in the dim lighting. They shine through the darkness. Isa buries his face in his chest again and closes his eyes.

“Not gonna sleep, huh?” Lea’s voice is soft.

“You make it easy,” Isa says.

Lea’s grip comfortably grows stronger as he continues running his fingers through Isa’s hair. He truly hadn’t been planning on going back to sleep. With Lea here, though, he feels like he can. Like he won’t have any other nightmares. _I won’t let anyone or anything lay a hand on you_. Isa believes it. He believes Lea. Trusts him. He has no reason not to.

So much for coffee. Both cups have been left sitting on the counter. Growing cold. Being in Lea’s embrace, on the other hand, is warm. Comforting. Isa has no intentions of getting back up. So, the coffee cups remain on the counter as they both remain on the couch. They remain in each other’s arms.

They remain.

~~~~

The dynamic of their relationship changes after that night. Isa’s not entirely sure how, but… It’s just different. Better. Isa sees Lea every single day and, if they can’t see each other, Lea texts Isa to apologise and tells him he’ll make it up to him. One way or another. Not that he has to. He always does, though. In little ways. In ways Isa should be making things up to him instead. Making up for things Lea doesn’t even remember. Tch. Either way, their friendship is definitely stronger now than it ever was before. And Isa won’t mess it up this time around. Can’t mess it up. Won’t know what to do with himself if he does mess it up. Doesn’t wanna think about it.

Isa is running late one morning when he decides to take the elevator rather than the stairs. Before the doors close, he sees Roxas and Xion exit their apartment and wave him down. He holds the doors open for them, and they enter the elevator. Isa takes a deep breath as the doors finally close. The silence is awkward. He’s not sure why. His last talk with Roxas had gone smooth enough. He’s still not sure if he should initiate a conversation, though. After all, he doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries. So, what could he say?

“How have you been?” Xion speaks up.

Turns out, he doesn’t have to figure it out. Although, a simple greeting like that should’ve been easy enough to decide on. “Oh. Uhm.” And a simple greeting should be easy enough to return. He clears his throat. Should be. “I’ve, uh—I’ve been well. You?”

“Yeah. Us, too.”

“That’s good.”

“Lea has been spending a lot of time with you lately,” Roxas goes on after another beat of silence. He quirks an eyebrow. “You must feel special.”

Isa isn’t sure exactly how to respond to this comment. How to react. “My apologies if I’ve been taking away from your big brother time.”

He chuckles. “That has nothing to do with it.” The elevator doors open into the lobby and Roxas steps off first. “We still see plenty of him.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Isa follows him out of the elevator. “I told you I wouldn’t ignore him if he was the one to try and form a friendship.”

“I know. I remember.”

Xion giggles softly as she follows them both out. “You’re getting kinda defencive.”

Isa feels somewhat blindsided by this conversation. “I don’t—I’m not being defencive.”

“Would you just relax? We’re not trying to corner you or anything.”

“You’re gonna be around and we’ve come to terms with that,” Roxas says. “Can’t say I’m necessarily ecstatic, but it’s obvious that Lea is happy.”

Xion nods. “He really is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy.”

Isa tries his best to hold back a blush. A reaction he’s still trying to decipher. “Well, I’m not sure we’re as inseparable yet as you three.”

Roxas laughs even more. “You’re kidding, right? C’mon, you two are just as inseparable by this point.”

“Just because he’s not with you, doesn’t automatically mean he’s with me.”

“Oh, speaking of which,” Xion starts, “ _do_ you know what he’s been up to?”

Isa scrunches his nose a bit. “What do you mean?”

“He’s been running off somewhere at night that’s not the restaurant or your place and we’re not sure where he’s going or why he’s hiding it from us.”

“Oh. I’m not sure.” He swallows hard as he opens the front door of the complex, allowing Roxas and Xion to exit first. The sun is back to shining. It finally peaked through the clouds again after the night Lea had come over to comfort Isa. Another thing he tries not to think about. “Maybe he’s seeing someone,” he goes on. Both kids freeze, exchanging uncertain glances. He follows them through the door and out of the building, looking back and forth between them. “What’s wrong?”

Xion purses her lips. “You think he’s…seeing someone?”

The door swings shut behind him. “Is that so ridiculous to think? Lea is a great guy.” He shrugs his shoulders, trying to ignore the knot forming in his stomach. “Any girl would be lucky—”

Roxas bursts out laughing. “You can’t be serious?” Xion then hits his shoulder in response. “ _What_? You know I’m right.”

She shakes her head. “Ignore him. All he means is that… Well, we don’t think Lea would keep something like that from us.”

“Maybe it’s still new and he’s just not ready to be open about it yet.”

Roxas is still laughing. “You do sound ridiculous.”

Now Xion is rolling her eyes. “I’m serious, ignore him.”

Isa chuckles under his breath. He’s anxious, though. Uneasy. “I, uh—I should get going. I’m already running late as it is.”

“Sorry for keeping you,” Xion says. “But it was nice being able to talk for once.”

“I live right across the hall; we can talk whenever you want.”

“Even at four o’clock in the morning?” Roxas calls after him.

“Even at four o’clock in the morning,” Isa says, and he waves them off.

This had been…unexpected. New. Good. Isa finally feels welcomed in the kids’ lives. He finally feels like he could be a part of their lives because they want him there, not because they’re trying to be civil for Lea. Hmm. Lea. _He’s been running off somewhere_ … Where is it he’s running off to? Who is he running off with? Is there someone he’s seeing? Tch. This is a dumb thing for Isa to be worrying over. He should just ask Lea. He’s sure he wouldn’t mind. But…what had Roxas found so funny?

Isa shakes his head as he comes closer to the bookshop. He can’t do this again. He can’t deal with these distracting thoughts. He needs to just clear his mind for the day, and then reach out to Lea once he’s home. Or maybe just forget about it altogether because it really isn’t any of his business. It has nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.

The knot in his stomach won’t go away.

~~~~

It’s the first night in almost an entire month that Lea is finally able to come back over to Isa’s place. He’s sure to bring food again, too. They sit on the couch, like they normally do, and Lea talks about whatever comes to his mind. And Isa listens. The sound of Lea’s voice is… _entrancing_. He grips onto every word as if his existence depends on it. Sometimes he truly believes it does.

“Hey, you got anything to drink?” Lea soon asks.

“Let me check.” Isa gets up and moves to the kitchen. He checks the fridge and—Huh. “I have nothing,” he says. “Sorry. Guess I need to go grocery shopping. I’ve been putting it off because—Well, just because I really hate it, to be honest.”

Lea chuckles. “Same.” He sets his plate down. “Tap water, then?”

Isa purses his lips. “I resent that, but yes.”

He straightens up a bit. “Hey, we should go together sometime.”

“Go where?” Isa asks as he fills a glass with water.

“Grocery shopping,” Lea goes on. “We both hate it, so going together could make it more enjoyable.” Isa considers this as he makes his way back to the couch. And he notices the way Lea is grinning. “It could be like a date.”

Isa stumbles. _It could be like a date_. He could’ve sworn his heart didn’t just skip a beat but stopped beating altogether in that moment. He trips over his own feet, dropping the glass in his hand. It hits the floor and shatters. Water and glass shards scatter the floor. As he kneels down to start picking up the pieces, Lea jumps to his feet.

“Holy shit,” he says.

Isa doesn’t respond. Just focuses on picking up the pieces of broken glass. He tries to ignore Lea as he appears kneeling across from him. He starts reaching for pieces of glass, as well, and Isa wants to swat his hands away. Push his hands away. He wants to push _him_ away. And in the midst of the commotion that is his inattentive mind, he nicks his palm. He hisses out of pain and Lea is instantly reaching for his hand rather than broken pieces of glass.

“Are you okay?” he checks.

“I-I’m fine,” Isa says. He tries to pull his hand away, but Lea won’t let go. “Lea—”

He lifts his gaze and sees the way Lea is looking at his hand. Then he brings those green eyes up to Isa’s teal ones and he sees the concern in them. The breath catches in his throat. His heart stops once more. The way Lea is looking at him… That look in his eyes makes Isa want to comfort _him_ instead. Makes him want to lean in and— _Oh_. Oh, shit. Oh, _fuck_. Isa gets it now. He gets the jealousy. The knots in his stomach. The blushing. He _gets it_.

Isa is in love with Lea. Has been in love with him. In every life. And it’s taken him this long to figure it out.

“Isa?” Lea speaks up.

He comes back to himself, pulling his hand away. “I should clean this up.”

“Let me help you,” Lea says as he also gets back to his feet.

“No—No, I don’t need any help.”

He rushes off to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He tells himself to breathe. Not to panic. He is panicking, though. So, he turns the faucet on and tries to let the running water drown out his thoughts. He sticks his hand under the water to wash the blood off. He watches as the sink turns red and then into a deep pink. He takes a deep, shaky breath. His hands are shaking, too. Damn it. He can’t believe it. He can’t believe he’s in love with Lea. He feels as if he’s going to be sick. How could he have not realised this sooner?

“Where do you keep the bandages?” Lea asks.

Isa is startled by Lea’s presence. He hadn’t even heard the door open. “That small cabinet over there.” He gestures with his head.

Lea walks over to the cabinet and pulls a bandage out, along with a small bottle. Then he steps up to Isa and turns the faucet off. He grabs a towel to dry his hand, applying a bit of pressure to the wound. He opens the bottle, placing the towel over the top and turning it upside down. He then gently drags it along the cut. Isa tries to ignore the tingling sting. Once Lea finishes cleaning it, he opens the bandage and places it over the cut. He proceeds to lightly trace his fingers over Isa’s palm. Isa swallows hard, watching Lea’s fingers before looking up at him. Lea returns the gaze once more. Isa loses his breath all over again. And he’s afraid the only way to get it back is to kiss Lea. Instead, he shakes his head and turns away from him.

“Are you okay?” Lea asks a second time.

Isa nods. “Just…dizzy.”

He chuckles a bit. “Not so good with blood, huh?”

“R-right…” That actually is a good excuse. “Yeah. No, I’m—I’m not.”

“Speaking of blood…” There’s a pause. “Mind if I ask you a question?” Isa has no clue as to what direction this conversation is going in, so he only nods yet again. “Your scar…” Lea goes on, and that’s when Isa turns to face him again. “It’s too perfect to have just been an accident,”

Isa touches the bridge of his nose. _Your scar_ … No one ever asks him about the scar, but he always catches people staring. His coworkers. Customers from the shop. Random people on the street. If it hadn’t been for them, he maybe would have forgotten about it by now. It isn’t as prominent as it had been before, after all. Except now…

He chooses to lie. “I honestly don’t remember how it happened.” He has to lie.

Now Lea is the one nodding. “Makes sense. The mind does tend to block out trauma like that.”

It hits Isa in that moment. Another wave of dizziness and another realisation. “The mind tends to block out trauma…” Of course. That’s why Lea doesn’t remember anything. Sure, the Organisation had been traumatising for everyone, but Lea must’ve taken it harder than the rest of them. “How do you know that?”

Lea scratches the back of his head. “Hah, this is gonna sound stupid, but…I kinda started taking some psychology courses.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not stupid.”

“Well, either way, I learned recently that when someone goes through a super traumatic event, it’s actually possible for them to block it from their memories completely.”

Yes. This is exactly what’s happened to Lea. It has to be. Hmm. Isa glances down at his hand. “What made you want to take a psychology course?”

He chuckles almost uneasily. “Okay. Now, _this_ part is really gonna sound dumb, but…” He sighs. “I feel like I’m forgetting something really important and I’m hoping this course will help me figure it out.”

Isa tilts his head. “What do you mean?” Might as well go along with it.

“Like… I dunno. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I just feel like I’m missing a huge part of my life. Or that these memories aren’t truly mine.”

There’s so much going through Isa’s head. So much to process. He doesn’t even know where to begin. “These memories?” Doesn’t know…except to repeat Lea.

“Yeah, exactly.” Lea is scratching the back of his head again. “Sorry,” he goes on. “I’m not even making sense anymore.”

Isa glances up at him. He so wishes that he could tell Lea everything. Tell him that he is making _complete_ sense. That he’s not crazy. Not wrong. Tell him all that he has forgotten. He knows it’s not his place, though. He knows it wouldn’t be fair. So, he just reaches for Lea’s hand. Lea seems taken aback by this, but it’s only for a moment before he pulls Isa’s into his arms. Into a hug. Isa hesitates at first, but then wraps his arms around Lea in return. Buries his face in the crook of his neck. He soon feels something… _wet_ through his hair.

“Lea—”

His hands slide up to Isa’s shoulders and he pushes them apart. “Don’t say anything. You don’t have to.” He clears his throat, taking a step back. “I think I should go.”

Isa grabs his hand again. “You don’t have to go.” He doesn’t want him to go, but he won’t make him stay.

Lea squeezes his hand before releasing it. “See you, Isa.”

He follows the redhead out of the bathroom. Follows him through the apartment until he walks out the front door, shutting it and separating them. Isa is then left standing alone by the empty couch. He should continue following Lea. Go after him. Tell him the truth. About the past. About how he feels. But he’s stuck in that one spot. Frozen.

Isa swallows hard. “See you…Lea.”

~~~~

It’s another week of only hearing from Lea through texts. Tch. Isa hates these weeks. And he can’t help but feel he messed up somehow the last time they saw each other. He’s sitting on his couch, running his thumb over the bandage on his hand. Lea had come over again a couple days later to help him change it, but Isa hasn’t physically seen him since then.

Changing a bandage on the hand isn’t easy to do alone. Isa needs Lea’s help. He just needs Lea. And now that he can finally admit that—

The knock on his door brings him out of his thoughts. Brings him to his feet. He tries not to look too eager as he answers the door. Then he tries not to look too disappointed when he sees the kids standing on the other side.

“Man, you look like shit,” Roxas greets him. Xion elbows him in the ribs causing him to hunch over a bit and cough. “Sorry.”

She’s smiling now. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better,” Isa says.

Her expression turns sympathetic. “How’s your hand?”

He closes his hand in and out of a loose fist. “It has also been better.” He pauses before letting out a huff of a breath. “Sorry, not to sound rude, but why are you two here?”

“Right.” Roxas holds out his hand. “This is for you.”

Isa quirks an eyebrow as he takes the item from him. “What is it?”

“It’s the sea salt ice cream from that shop you told me about.”

Now Xion looks almost sheepish. “Thank you so much for the great suggestion, but… Well, it didn’t have the effect we had been hoping for.”

“Really?” He runs his thumb over the wrapper. “I’m surprised. If there was one thing that I thought would’ve been a surefire way of triggering Lea’s memories…” He shakes the ice cream bar a bit.

“Guess he’s just that far gone,” she says.

He swallows hard. “I’m sorry it didn’t work.”

She shakes her head. “No, you don’t have to apologise.”

Roxas shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe we just gotta feed him as many as he had consumed as Axel.”

This causes Xion to laugh. “That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s so bad…it just might work,” Isa says, leaving the door open but heading back inside his apartment to put the ice cream bar in the freezer.

She laughs even more. “And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

Now Roxas looks offended. “ _Hey_ …”

She only puts her hand up as if to silence him. “Don’t even start.” Roxas scoffs in response, folding his arms across his chest. She then puts her hand down. “Sorry to bother you,” she then calls inside, her focus still on Isa. He returns to the open doorway. “No offence, but you do look exhausted.” She pauses. “Is there anything on your mind you would like to talk about?”

Tch. Now that’s a funny question. There’s _a lot_ on Isa’s mind. Like the fact that he’s in love with his best friend, for instance. He could never tell the kids that, though. Hell, they’d probably lose their minds over it.

“Lea hasn’t mentioned you for a couple days,” she goes on. “Is everything okay between you two?”

The breath catches in his throat. So, Lea talks about him on a regular basis, huh? “As far as I know, it is.” He tries not to let it sting that he hasn’t been talking about him. “I mean—I dunno, I suppose we’ve just been busy.”

“Sure, but you still seem to always find a way to make time for each other.”

His brow furrows. He’s trying to stay calm, but he can’t help but feel that she’s trying to imply something. “We’re fine,” he says again. “We’ll see each other when we see each other.”

“Remember what I said before,” Roxas speaks up. “Don’t be a prick.”

Xion’s eyes widen as she looks over at him. “ _Roxas_.”

“What? C’mon, it’s a reasonable request.”

She opens her mouth to retort, but Isa steps in first. “It’s fine.” She closes her mouth and looks back over at him. “He’s not wrong.”

“Listen, I know things were weird at first and maybe they still kind of are, but…” She shrugs her shoulders. “We meant it when we said that we’ve never seen Lea happier. And if that’s because of you, then—”

Isa can’t help but chuckle at this. Roxas quirks an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

He lifts his gaze from the ground to look at the kids. “You tell me. You’re the one who was laughing the other day and calling me ridiculous.” The kids exchange somewhat odd glances. Isa still doesn’t know them well enough to read them. “I’m not sure what you two are trying to get at, but Lea and I are fine,” he goes on. “Besides, I don’t see what the big deal is. We’re not obligated to see and talk to each other every single day.”

“Well, yeah, I—I know that.” Xion furrows her brow. “That’s not really the point, though.”

“Just drop it,” Roxas says. “Clearly we’re the ones overreacting here.”

She takes a deep breath. “You’re right.” She breathes out with a shake of her head. “This got way off topic.” She looks back at Isa. “I’m sorry. We didn’t come here to interrogate you; we came here to give you the ice cream.”

The ice cream. “Right. Thank you for that, by the way,” Isa says. “Thank you for…thinking of me.”

She smiles. “Of course.”

“Thank you for letting us be the ones to test it,” Roxas goes on. “Even though it didn’t work, it still meant a lot to be able to have sea salt ice cream all together again.”

She nods. “Yeah, it did.”

Isa swallows hard. “I’m glad to hear it.”

There’s a moment of awkward silence before the kids finally bid their farewell. They return across the hall and Isa watches until they close their front door. He then follows suit and shuts his own. He takes a deep breath before making his way to the kitchen. He opens the freezer and pulls the ice cream bar back out. _This is for you_. Tch. The fact that the kids had actually thought of him…

He unwraps the ice cream bar. It’s not blue, but that’s okay. Not everything can be exactly the same. He takes a deep breath before taking a bite out of it. Huh. It certainly has the same salty-sweet taste, but… There’s still something different about it. Something off. The saltiness overtakes the sweetness of the flavour rather than the other way around. And the aftertaste is… _bitter_. No wonder it didn’t trigger any sort of reaction with Lea.

As much as he doesn’t want to, Isa forces himself to eat the rest of the ice cream bar. The sweetness seems almost nonexistent by the time he finishes it. He can’t help but wonder what kind of reaction Lea had had to the ice cream. If it would’ve been anything like the first time that he tried the flavour. Hmm.

He grabs his phone from the coffee table. Opens the message chain he has going with the redhead. He starts typing out a text, but then deletes it. He types out another one. Deletes it. He does this at least four more times before discarding his phone to the couch. Why is it so difficult to send Lea such a simple message? It shouldn’t be this difficult. Every time Isa goes to text him, though, all he wants to type is a confession. He can’t do that. Won’t do it over the phone, either. Besides, he’s not quite ready to say any of that out loud. There’s still a lot to figure out. A lot to think over.

He’ll take it one day at a time. One step at a time. One stolen glance at a time.

~~~~

The next time Isa does see Lea—the next time he even hears from him again—is just under two weeks later. He’s leaving work to find the redhead standing outside the shop. Lea smiles at him, almost guiltily, and pushes himself off the wall he’s leaning against.

“Mind if I walk you home?” Lea asks.

Isa swallows hard. “I-I don’t mind at all.”

They start walking, but they’re both quiet. It’s making Isa anxious. Much like their walk back from the restaurant that one afternoon. Lea typically always tries to find something to talk about. So, the fact that he’s just as quiet as Isa… Well, he must have a lot going through his mind. Hmm. What could he be thinking about? Isa supposes he could just ask. Is it really his place, though? Is it any of his business? Maybe Lea doesn’t want to talk about it. Maybe that’s why he’s keeping so quiet. Maybe he’d rather just keep to himself for once. Maybe—

“How’s your hand?” he speaks up.

Isa nearly trips over himself. “Oh. Uhm.” He clears his throat. Clears his thoughts. “It seems to be healing well.”

“That’s good.” He nods his head. “Man, it’s chilly today.”

Isa looks up. Dark clouds are rolling in. He tilts his head at the sight of them. There have been clear skies since—Well, whenever he gets to see Lea. And whenever he isn’t able to see him… Huh. He brings his gaze back to the path before him, shaking his head. He tries not to think too much of it. Tries not to overwhelm himself.

Once they make it to Isa’s apartment, Isa goes straight to the kitchen and starts brewing a pot of coffee.

“You wanna order food?” Lea breaks the silence once more.

“Sure,” Isa says. “Perhaps we could invite Roxas and Xion to join us, as well.”

“I totally would, but they’re both working tonight.” He pulls out his phone. “We should definitely set up a night for the four of us to hang out, though. Besides, I don’t think they’d ever admit it, but,” he grins, “you’ve grown on them.”

He chuckles softly, thinking about the ice cream bar. “I’m glad to hear it.”

From there, Lea orders their usual. Isa drinks about two cups of coffee by the time the food gets delivered. They then take their normal spots on the couch to eat. Lea is much more talkative now. And Isa is just as attentive.

As the evening goes on, Isa brews a second pot of coffee while Lea finishes off the food. A part of him still can’t believe how _natural_ it feels to spend time with Lea like this. Almost as if the Organisation had never happened. Sometimes Isa does forget about that decade of their lives, too. There’s always something to bring those memories back to life, though. For instance, there are moments when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees those purple marks under Lea’s eyes again. The upside-down teardrops. But then when he looks at the redhead straight on, his face is clear. Free of any markings. Unlike his own face…

He shakes his head. Damn it. Why is he thinking about this now? Why is he thinking about it at all? It won’t do him any good. And he doesn’t want to be distracted like this while he’s with Lea. He wants to be distracted _by_ Lea. He wants to—

“Hey,” Lea says, bringing him back to the moment. “Are you even listening?”

Another shake of his head. “I’m sorry. I guess I got lost in thought.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. Everything is fine.” He pauses. “How is your psychology course going?”

“Good. It’s going real good. I’m enjoying it a lot.”

“That’s great. Have you learned of any other intriguing behaviours?”

He chuckles, scratching the back of his head. “C’mon, I don’t wanna bore you with this shit.”

“It’s not boring. And I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know. Plus, if it’s important to you, then—” He stops talking—stops breathing—when he notices the way Lea is looking at him. The sparkle in those green orbs. Isa is most positive his cheeks are bright red now. Possibly even brighter than Lea’s hair. And from just a look. Tch. Isa is _hopeless_. “Never mind. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Lea does end up talking about it. And Isa makes sure to listen even more attentively than before. He talks while Isa cleans up and he can feel Lea’s gaze following him as he moves back and forth from the couch to the kitchen. He doesn’t take his eyes off him. Meanwhile, Isa can’t bring himself to look back at him. If he does, he just might lose his composure. Lose his control. After all, he’s wanted nothing more all night than to kiss Lea. Every time their eyes meet, he melts. It’s no different feeling that burning gaze on him. So, if he were to look at him now, he’d most likely jump across the kitchen table _and_ the coffee table just to throw himself into Lea’s embrace.

He can’t help but wonder if Lea would catch him if he were to fall.

As the evening draws to its close, Isa has to physically stop himself from asking Lea to spend the night.

“Next time we do this, the kids will definitely be involved,” Lea says as he makes his way for the front door. “It’s not often we all get the same night off, but we’ll figure it out.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Isa says. He opens the door for him. “Thank you for tonight. And thank you for walking me home.”

He smiles softly. “No problem. Might start doing that more often.”

“I wouldn’t complain.” Shit. He goes rigid when he realises he had said that out loud. Goes rigid at the grin on Lea’s face. “Message me when you get home,” he goes on, trying to move past the comment.

“I will.”

“Okay.” He nods. “Goodnight.”

He closes the door while Lea is still responding. He doesn’t mean to cut him off, but _shit_ , he can’t believe he just said that. And the look on Lea’s face… Damn it. He has to figure out how to hide his feelings better. Hell, he spent a decade of his life being emotionless; he should know how to be stoic and expressionless. Except he doesn’t actually want that anymore. He doesn’t mind being an open book. Not when it comes to Lea, at least. Then again, Lea has always been able to read him. Even now without any of his memories, he can still see right through him. Even now—

There’s a knock on the door. Isa’s brow furrows. Who could that be? When he opens the door again, the redhead is still standing on the other side.

“Lea.” He’s a bit taken aback by this. “Did you forget—?”

The word is barely out of his mouth before Lea’s lips are crashing into his. Isa’s hands seem to understand what’s happening better than his own mind, as they move to Lea’s hips first to pull him closer and then wind around his neck. He can feel Lea smiling against him and he knows for sure his heart has stopped. At the same time, though, he can feel it pounding against his chest. Then it skips a beat as he stumbles onto the couch. When the hell did he and Lea start moving? What does it even matter? Lea is _kissing_ him. Lea is kissing him. Holy shit. _Lea is kissing him_. It’s what he’s wanted all night, yet—

He pushes Lea away. “I can’t,” he says, still breathless. “I can’t do this.”

Lea is just as breathless. “What? Why not? I mean, I may not be the best at picking up on signals, but I still thought I had been reading yours loud and clear.”

Signals? Isa wouldn’t have even known he was _giving_ signals. What does he mean, though? Why can’t he do this? It’s exactly what he wants. All he’s ever wanted. So why can’t he do this now? He and Lea have had their fresh start. Hell, they’ve had time to rebuild their friendship. All of a sudden, though… It’s not enough. Isa knows now that he wants what they built before. He even wants the pieces from the rubble when everything collapsed around them. He wants him and Lea to be able to grow together. To learn from their past mistakes. And maybe it’s selfish, but he also wants Lea to be able to comfort him while understanding exactly why he has such horrible nightmares from time to time.

These last few months have been great, but it’s just not the same when they don’t have a past that they can share like they’re supposed to. Hell, they’re supposed to have an entire childhood of memories together. And Isa understands now that he’s not as okay with Lea not remembering as he once believed.

They’re sitting normally again. Sitting up. Facing each other. Their knees bumping together. Lea’s hands are resting on Isa’s thighs and Isa’s hands are on Lea’s forearms. Lea is waiting patiently. Isa takes a deep breath.

“Remember when you said you feel like you’re forgetting something?” Isa goes on.

“Of course.”

He swallows hard. “What if I told you that you weren’t wrong?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“It’s difficult to explain, but—” He lets out a heavy sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. Damn it. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. It isn’t fair. “I’m sorry, but we just… We can’t be together yet.”

“Yet?”

“I need you to remember first.”

“You—You think I’m—?” He shakes his head. “Is there something you’re keeping from me? Like…do you somehow _know_ what I’m forgetting?”

“I wish I could explain myself, but… If you remember, it needs to be on your own.”

“Isa, c’mon…”

Lea takes a hand off one of Isa’s thighs to cup his cheek and Isa makes the mistake of leaning into his touch. The next thing he knows, they’re kissing again. And he’s melting into it. Damn it. _No_. As much as he wants to, he can’t let this happen. So, he forces himself to push Lea away again.

“Isa, please, don’t do this.”

“I’m so sorry, Lea.”

He gets to his feet—gets himself off the couch—and steps away. Isa feels their fingers barely brush together as he falls just out of Lea’s reach. He feels the warmth and then—A chill runs down his spine as a roar of thunder sounds off.

Somehow, it’s eerily quiet after that. Isa isn’t sure what Lea is doing now; he can’t bring himself to look back at him. If he does, he knows he’ll rejoin him on the couch. He’ll kiss him again. He’ll wish he could forget everything, too. The opposite needs to happen, though. He needs Lea to remember. That’s the only way this will work.

There’s a low rumble of thunder and he hears feet shuffling. “What happens if I’m not able to remember?” Lea asks. “What then?”

The breath catches in Isa’s throat. That question breaks him, but his answer will be what kills him. “Then I don’t think we can be together at all.” He’s not sure how he keeps his voice from cracking.

“So…that’s it?” he goes on. Isa doesn’t respond. Doesn’t move. “Look at me.” He takes a deep breath and turns to face Lea. “I know you feel what I do.”

“I’m not saying I don’t, I just—” Another crack of thunder, followed by the sound of rain against the window. “I can’t do this when you don’t remember what we felt before.”

Lea shakes his head. “That’s not fair. How the hell am I supposed to remember something when I don’t even know what it is that I’ve forgotten? Like, I don’t even know where to begin. And you’ve been perfectly fine this whole time and now you’re just throwing this at me all at once.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I was okay with it, but…I’m not.”

He rolls his eyes. “Whatever.” And he heads for the door.

“Lea—”

“Don’t.” He scoffs as he swings the door open. “Don’t do me any favours.”

The doors slams shut with the next rumble of thunder. It’s quiet again. Isa stands in the same spot, frozen, watching the door. Waiting for it to open again. Waiting for Lea to walk back through it. Who is he kidding, though? Lea isn’t coming back this time. Isa had him right where he wanted him, and he pushed him away. He let him go. And now he’s alone all over again.

The beating of the rain drowns out the beating of his heart.

~~~~

Isa tries his best to not be distracted for the next few days. He tries not to think about that stupid argument with Lea. Tries not to think about the kiss. He tries to ignore his phone. It doesn’t always work. He’s already typed up more messages than he can count that he only ended up deleting. He knows better. He knows it wouldn’t be fair. To him or to Lea. Especially not to Lea. Despite how badly he wants to see the redhead, he needs to give him some time. Some space. Hmm.

He hasn’t heard from Lea in over a week. The rain hasn’t stopped in over a week. He still tries to ignore the correlation between the two.

When he gets back to his apartment that evening, he’s exhausted. All he wants is to brew a pot of coffee and relax with a good book. Except he doesn’t even have time to close his front door before it’s being pushed back open. He stumbles a bit before turning on his heel to see Roxas and Xion standing in the doorway. He lets out a huff of a breath, holding back an eyeroll. Great. This isn’t what he needs right now.

“Have you been avoiding us?” Roxas starts.

Tch. Like he would really have a reason to. “What do you want?”

Roxas opens his mouth to respond, but Xion places a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. She then turns her focus on Isa. “Lea told us about what happened.”

“Okay. Now you two can go back to hating me.”

Isa swings the door shut for it to only be stopped by Roxas once again. He pushes it back open. “That’s not why we’re here.”

“Then what do you want from me?”

“We just wanna talk,” Xion goes on. “You did tell us we could talk to you any time.”

“Yeah.” Roxas folds his arms across his chest. “Just be lucky we’re not doing this at four o’clock in the morning instead.”

Isa covers his chuckle with a sigh. He then steps aside, granting the kids full access into his apartment. They both step inside and tentatively seat themselves on the couch. Isa takes a deep breath before shutting the door and facing them. He walks to the kitchen and pulls a chair from the table, seating himself on the other side of the coffee table.

“What would you like to talk about?” he asks.

“We wanna hear your side of the story,” Xion says. She clears his throat. “Lea told us that he confessed to you and that you responded by telling him that you two can’t be together until he remembers what he’s forgotten.”

“Yes.” He nods his head once. “My side of the story wouldn’t be any different.”

She purses her lips. “Y’know, Roxas and I kind of already thought you two were dating. So, when Lea told us he had only just confessed to you…” She tilts her head thoughtfully. “Surprising as that was, we were even more surprised to hear about how you had reacted because we were under the impression that you’re in love with him.”

Isa is taken aback by how upfront this statement is; he hadn’t expected them to be so blunt about the situation. Who is he to beat around the bush, then? No point in lying to them. Lying to himself. “I am in love with Lea,” he says. Roxas and Xion seem to be the shocked ones now. “Something about him not remembering, though, just feels…wrong.”

Roxas scratches the back of his head. “Uh, no offence, but isn’t the fact that he doesn’t remember _better_ for you? If he did remember, there’s no telling how he’d feel. What if he doesn’t want to forgive you?”

That thought has crossed Isa’s mind. Of course. How could it not? “Exactly,” he goes on. He’s been thinking a lot about this. More than he wants to admit. “I don’t want Lea and I to develop a relationship only to have him wake up one day with his memories of the past intact and possibly regret the whole relationship.” He swallows hard. “That wouldn’t be fair to him.”

“That’s—” Xion stops herself before smiling softly. Almost sheepishly. “That’s actually very considerate of you.”

Roxas sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Are you prepared for the possibility of Lea never remembering?”

Isa turns his head away. “I try not to think about that outcome.”

“What if being with you were to help him remember?” Xion goes on.

“I’ve thought about that, too. Just can’t decide whether it would be good or bad.”

“Isa…” She lets out a soft sigh. “If you love him, wouldn’t it all be worth the risk?”

He squeezes his eyes shut, allowing his face to fall into his hands. “Damn it…” He runs his fingers through his hair before taking it over his shoulder and braiding it. “It would be so much easier if he could just remember.”

“Really? You think it’d be easier?” Roxas shakes his head. “I’m not so sure about that.” He gets to his feet. “Just think about what this is doing to Lea now because this isn’t really fair to him, either.” With that, he takes his leave.

Isa stares at the door where Roxas just left through. “Nothing I ever do is right.”

“At least you’re making an effort,” Xion speaks up. “Roxas is right, though. Lea is already losing his mind trying to figure out what it is he’s forgotten. This isn’t easy for him.”

He holds back a scoff. “It’s not easy for me, either.”

Her gaze falls to the ground. She then gets to her feet and makes her way for the door. “If you do truly love him,” she starts, her hand on the knob, “then find a way past this.” And she’s gone.

As soon as the door closes behind her, there’s a crack of thunder followed by a bright flash of lighting. It illuminates the apartment. It doesn’t startle Isa out of his trance, though. His eyes are fixated on the front door. _If you do truly love him_ —Tch. He wouldn’t care so much if he didn’t truly love Lea. He wouldn’t be so concerned. — _Then find a way past this_. The only way past this is to reconcile the past itself. That cannot be done, though, without Lea remembering. He needs his memories. Isa needs him to—

Isa needs Lea. Simple as that. Then again, it can’t be that simple. Clean slate or not, Isa still has lot to make up for. A lot to apologise for. And he can’t do that when Lea isn’t aware of what to forgive him for. Not that he necessarily deserves his forgiveness, but… _What if he doesn’t want to forgive you_? _Wouldn’t it all be worth the risk_? It will be worth the risk. It’ll be worth every moment. Especially if it means Isa will have his best friend back. Every part of him.

~~~~

The weather doesn’t improve. Isa sits on the couch reading, trying to ignore the sounds of the storm outside. It helps…for a while. It helps until he finishes the book. It helps when he finds a second book to read. It helps until the power goes out.

He sets the book down on the coffee table and carefully makes his way to the kitchen. He opens one of the cabinets and pulls out a couple candles. He then pulls a lighter from one of the drawers. Once the candles are lit, he leaves one on the kitchen counter and brings the other with him to place on the end table.

He takes a deep breath as he looks around. Well, he can’t possibly continue reading in the dark. The candles aren’t bright enough. The flashes of lighting are too quick. If he tries to read under these conditions, it’ll only give him a headache. And if he can’t read, then he can’t keep himself distracted. Hmm…

Thunder rumbles outside and within Isa’s mind. Within his chest. It shakes his heart. Leaves him breathless. And when he closes his eyes, all he can imagine are green ones staring back. He reaches out for the phantom in his mind. With the next rumble of thunder, though, the phantom turns to nothing more than dust. He opens his eyes and he’s alone again. Always alone. Always—

There’s a knock on the door. He’s hesitant but makes his way to it. When he opens it, he sees Lea standing on the other side. The breath catches in Isa’s throat.

Lea clears his throat. “Do you usually sit in dark rooms when you’re alone or did you lose power, too?”

He chokes down the chuckle. “I lost power.”

“Yeah, my place lost power a couple days ago so I’ve been staying with Roxas and Xion, but now…” He lets out a heavy sigh. “Have any extra candles I can borrow? Or a couple flashlights?”

Isa steps aside. “Come in.” Lea enters the apartment and Isa closes the door behind him. They stand there for a brief moment, both staring at the ground. “Let me see what I have,” Isa then goes on before heading back into the kitchen. He rummages through the cabinets a bit more, pulling out a few more candles. “You can take these—” He turns around and stops short when he notices Lea is standing right there. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve missed seeing you,” Lea says, his voice soft. Low. He takes a step closer to Isa. “Tell me you’ve missed me, too.”

Tch. Of course he has. “Lea…don’t—” He forces himself to take a step back. “Please don’t do this.”

He chuckles a bit. “Do what?”

“You know what.”

“Oh, c’mon…” He places a hand on Isa’s waist, causing him to freeze. Causing the distance between them to become nonexistent. “You know just as well as I do that we’re perfect for each other.” He presses their foreheads together. “Whatever doubts you have, I’m sure we can work through them.”

Isa’s eyes are squeezed shut. He can’t bring himself to look at Lea. Can’t bring himself to step away from him, either. To push him away. He enjoys being this close to Lea. Enjoys feeling his warmth. Enjoys feeling _him_. And he knows Lea is right; he knows they’re perfect for each other. He hates that Lea has made such a good point. Such a simple point. Hearing him say it, though, makes Isa want to give in to the temptation of being with him. But he also knows that Lea needs to remember. Deserves to remember. And that’s the thought that brings him to his senses. The thought that allows him to finally take a step back.

“We can’t,” Isa says. Somehow, he keeps his voice from cracking. Keeps it steady. “You have to trust me when I tell you it’s better this way.”

Lea adds to the distance now. “I don’t get how it’s better.”

“Once you remember—”

“Don’t. I don’t need to hear it again.” And he makes his way for the door.

Isa follows. “I’m sorry, Lea. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but—”

“But what? How the hell is this better? Why can’t we just be together? Then I can figure out the rest along the way. Or why can’t you help me remember? Why can’t you tell me what it is I’m forgetting? Because I don’t even know where to begin.”

Neither does Isa. And before he can come up with a response, Lea is out the door. The candles are still in his hands, though. So, he takes a deep breath before stepping out of his apartment. He places the candles on the floor in front of the door across from his and knocks. He then returns to his own apartment. Once he closes the door, he leans against it and slides down to the floor.

Lightning flashes, momentarily illuminating the empty room. Isa squeezes his eyes shut as to not look. Hmm. Alone again. Always alone.

~~~~

Isa is getting sick of the rain. He’s getting tired of the silence. Of not hearing his phone go off. Not seeing Lea’s name flash across the screen. At this point, he’s lost track of how much time has passed. He’s lost track of the days. He just knows it’s been too long. He’s not sure he’ll be able to stand another day on his own. He can’t give in, though. Lea needs to regain his memories. Deserves to. Nothing will change Isa’s mind on that matter.

He’s getting home from work that evening when he runs into Roxas and Xion in the hall outside their apartments. It’s the first time he’s seen them in over a week, as well. Part of him just wants to smile and nod and continue to his apartment. Another part of him wants to stop them. Talk to them.

That second part of him wins out.

“How are you?” he speaks up.

Xion stops first, while Roxas takes another few steps before also stopping. Xion then turns to face Isa. She smiles but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “We’re doing well.”

“Good.” He nods, swallowing hard. “How’s Lea?”

“He’s fine,” Roxas says. “Keeping busy.”

Isa doesn’t necessarily know what to make of this retort. He can’t even bring himself to respond before Xion is telling him that she and Roxas are late for work. Can’t bring himself to respond before they’re disappearing behind elevator doors. Once they’re gone, he tries to ignore the numbness settling in the pit of his stomach and lets himself into his apartment. He closes the door and lets out a shaky breath. _Keeping busy_. Tch. Of course. Isa has ruined any chance they had at a relationship. He was asking too much by asking Lea to remember. His intentions may have been good—his heart in the right place—but it had still been an unfair request. And now Isa has to let go of Lea all over again. He won’t even have the kids to keep up with. To tell him that Lea’s at least happy. Because he at least has to know that Lea will be happy in the long run. That he’ll come to the realisation—come to understand—that this truly is for the best. Despite how difficult it may be to accept.

He pushes himself away from the door and stumbles towards the couch. He seats himself before looking around the empty apartment. Then he looks at his phone. Maybe he should just call Lea. Invite him over. Maybe they can work this through, after all. Maybe Isa should just explain everything to him. Or perhaps he could let it go and let Lea figure it out along the way. If they’re together, then—No. They’ve been together. If the time they’ve spent so far hasn’t triggered anything yet, then what difference would it make if they were dating? It wouldn’t make a difference. It could end up hurting them both in the end, too. And the last thing Isa wants to do is hurt Lea. Not again. Never again.

He squeezes his phone in his hand. The desire to throw it across the room is strong, but he resists. Somehow. He lets out a heavy sigh and slides from the couch and onto the floor. That’s when his phone slips from his hand. His head falls back as he closes his eyes, taking another deep breath. He allows himself to listen to the storm. To the rain. The rumble of the thunder.

He drowns in it until his consciousness floats away.

~~~~

The sound of the rain while at work helps Isa to concentrate. For once, he’s fully engrossed in the book he’s reading. The words on the page are actually coming to life. Speaking to him. A novel about a young man losing the love of his life. Seeking revenge on those who took his love from him. Isa can’t help but feel a twinge of inspiration from the story. That sort of commitment to someone is—

“Hello, Isa,” a female voice says.

The book nearly drops from his hands. “Xion?” he says once he processes her form. He sets the book down. “What brings you here?”

“Lea mentioned once that you work here.”

He swallows hard. “Y-yes. Uhm.” He clears his throat. “Is there anything I can help you with? A book I can help you find?”

She shakes her head. “Honestly, I just wanna talk.”

The tension in his shoulders dissipates. “About?”

She scrunches her nose, smiling. “What do you think?”

He can’t help the chuckle. “I’m not sure what else to tell you.”

“That’s okay. I just want you to know that I understand where you’re coming from,” she goes on. “Roxas and I want Lea to remember, as well. It’s just…not the same. At the same time, though, we know he’ll feel guilty about everything if he does remember. He won’t believe he deserves forgiveness or a second chance or—” She takes a deep breath. “Nothing will ever be exactly the same as before whether he does end up remembering or not. It can’t be the same and it shouldn’t be the same.”

“Trust me, I don’t want it to be exactly the same,” Isa says. “Nor am I expecting it to be the same.”

“Right.” She pauses. “Y’know, Roxas and I still believe that a part of Lea does remember. Subconsciously, at least. I mean, we don’t think he ever would’ve wanted to befriend a couple of kids, otherwise. And then there’s you.” She smiles again. More gently. “He cares just as much about you now as he did in his life before.”

He wants to believe her, but he can’t bring himself to take her word for it. “No offence, but how would you know?”

“Because Roxas and I aren’t stupid. Looking back, we know some of Axel’s actions were in regard to you. Not everything had to do with us. And I’m sure you know that, too.”

He considers this. Still can’t bring himself to take her word for it. “That’s…sweet of you, but… By the end of our time, I am most certain he cared more for you and Roxas than he did about me. He only ever wanted to keep the two of you safe, whereas he no longer cared what would happen to me.”

“I don’t believe that.”

He holds back a scoff. “Either way…”

She chuckles softly. “The reason Roxas and I thought it was so crazy that you believed Lea was dating someone is because of this.” She meets his gaze. “It’s like we said. I mean, we had been under the impression you two were already dating. So, when we found out you weren’t, it was…shocking, to be honest. And Lea didn’t understand exactly why we were so surprised because he believed we still didn’t like you.” She purses her lips before allowing her smile to grow. “He was always so happy after spending time with you, though. It was so obvious how he felt. So Roxas and I realised it was time to let go of the past. We knew we had to give you a second chance.”

“Except you didn’t have to,” Isa says. Frankly, he doesn’t want them to. He doesn’t want them to think it’s a requirement or anything of the sort. “You have no obligation—”

“Isa.” Another smile. “None of us are who we used to be. Not even Roxas and myself. I’m not gonna lie, though, it wasn’t easy accepting the fact that you would be a part of our lives, but…” She shrugs her shoulders. “If we can forgive Lea for the pretty terrible things he did, then you deserve the same forgiveness.”

“He did those things because of me.”

“Stop trying to make yourself the bad guy. You’re not the bad guy anymore.”

“Well, I’m no hero, either.”

She laughs softly. “You don’t have to be. Just be yourself. Because whoever that version is, it makes Lea happy.”

His gaze drops down. “Did.”

“Yeah, that’s the other thing I wanted to talk about.” He swallows hard and brings his gaze back up to Xion’s. “Lea will remember when he remembers,” she then goes on. “Just because he doesn’t remember now, though, doesn’t mean you should let that hold you back. That’s not fair to either of you.” She laughs, shaking her head. “Lea is so in love with you. Let yourself love him back.”

Tch. She certainly comes across as a child now. “You make it sound easy.”

“It is easy. _You’re_ the one complicating it.”

“No. It’ll be complicated if he remembers and regrets—”

“Nothing could ever make him stop loving you.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

She takes a deep breath. “Fine. You’re right. But I still don’t think you should let that hold you back. You shouldn’t let it scare you. I mean, something tells me that you and Lea could make it through anything together. You could make it through hell and back.” She shrugs again. “Ya kind of already did.”

“It in no way ended on good terms, though.”

“His relationship with us didn’t necessarily end on good terms, either, but that in no way means we don’t want to be his friend anymore. It’s not like we care about him any less. If anything, we care about him even more.”

“It’ll be different for you three.”

“Wow. You really are stubborn, huh? You’ll come up with an excuse for _everything_.”

“It’s not an excuse.”

There’s no trace of a smile left. “You can’t make Lea wait forever. And if he does move on before he remembers, then you’ll be the only one left with regrets.”

With that, Xion takes her leave. Isa watches as she does. Watches as the shop door swings shut behind her. Once she’s gone, he takes a deep breath. _It’s not an excuse_. Tch. Who is he kidding? Of course it’s an excuse. A piss poor one, too. An excuse to run and hide from the feelings he doesn’t know how to handle. How to decipher. Feelings he never believed he would have to confront. And now that he does have to… Well, now he’s running out of places to hide. Hmm. He glances down at the book on the counter. He tilts his head as a single passage catches his attention:

_If I hadn’t loved you in this life, I’d find you in the next and love you unconditionally. And I’ll love you for every life to follow. I’ll love you with every breath. Every heartbeat. You and I may pass on, but our love never will. Much like the sun and the moon, we will be bound, and our love will exist for eternity._

The breath catches in Isa’s throat. In this life and the next… Every past life and every life to follow… _Lea is so in love with you_. Shit. Isa is in love with him, too. With or without the memories. Because he’s not in love with the memories themselves; he’s in love with the person they’re shared with. And that makes all the difference.

It makes it so much better.

~~~~

It’s almost midnight. Isa should get to bed soon considering he needs to head into work in less than eight hours. He can’t bring himself to go to bed, though. He’s far too restless. The storm raging outside is far too restless. Tch. How long has it been now?

He misses watching the sunset. He misses stargazing. He misses the sun and the moon. It’s all been too… _grey_.

The last thing he should do right now is brew a pot of coffee, but that’s exactly what he ends up doing. He’s been having a lot of nightmares lately, so maybe that’s why his body doesn’t feel tired. Maybe his subconscious itself is afraid of sleeping. Or maybe he’s just losing his mind. Slowly descending into madness. Maybe he’ll wake up and realise these past few months have all been some vivid dream. He’ll wake up and still be surrounded by white walls. Still be wearing a black coat. Still be addressed by the name—

There’s a crack of thunder followed by a knock on the front door. He sets his coffee mug down and moves to answer the door. He has no idea who it could be at this hour. Maybe the kids are just getting home from work and have lost power. Or maybe they accidentally locked themselves out. Even then, he still finds it hard to believe they would come to him for help.

He gets the door open and it’s _Lea_ he discovers standing on the other side. The breath catches in his throat. This is the first they’ve seen in each other in—Tch. He’s not even sure how long. So much time has passed; Isa stopped keeping track. But Lea is here now. At midnight. Clothes soaking wet from the ongoing storm. And Isa wants nothing more than to forget everything and hold him close. He keeps his composure, though. Somehow.

“Lea…” The name gets spoken more breathlessly than he had anticipated. “What are you doing here?”

He opens his mouth, and his lips stutter a bit without sound. “I-I remember,” he finally chokes out. He meets Isa’s gaze. “I remember.”

He focuses on breathing. In and out. Steady. Shaky. “What do you mean?”

Lea doesn’t wait to be invited inside. He pushes past Isa, granting himself entrance into the apartment. “I had this weird dream,” he starts. “I dunno. It almost seemed like a series of flashbacks or something.” He’s pacing around the coffee table and Isa closes the door as he watches him, keeping his distance. For now. “It’s kinda difficult to explain, but in the dream, there was something about the Organisation. Nobodies. Heartless.” Isa folds his arms across his chest as Lea continues his pacing. He allows the redhead to sort through his thoughts. “I’m not sure what brought it on or triggered the dream, but I—I just know that I remember.” He stops and looks over at Isa, who’s still standing by the door. “You believe me, don’t you?”

He swallows hard. He _wants_ to believe him, of course. More than anything in the world. Would it really all come crashing down on Lea just like that, though? Hmm. Isa supposes it’s not totally unfathomable. He takes a deep breath. “Do you truly understand what all that means?” he asks. “Or is it all just nonsense to you?”

He lets out an exasperated sigh. “Isa—”

“I’m sorry, I just—” He can’t bring himself to look at Lea. “I want to make sure. So, what is the Organisation to you? What are Nobodies? What are—?”

“Isa.” Lea steps up to him, taking Isa’s hands in his own. “I know what this means to you, so I wouldn’t lie to you about it,” he says. “I truly remember. I promise.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I got it memorised.”

That’s what breaks Isa. Because no one, not even a forgetful Lea, could ever say that phrase so unironically. He half laughs and half sobs as he practically collapses into Lea’s arms, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Lea wraps his—still soaked—arms around him. They stay like that for a while. Until Isa comes to his senses and pushes himself away from Lea. Now that he remembers, there’s a lot to talk about. A lot of unresolved trauma. And as much as Isa fears confronting it, he knows he can’t hide any longer.

“How are you not angry with me?” he speaks up.

Lea looks almost taken aback. “Why would I be?”

Isa can’t help the scoff. “Please, don’t be so dumb. So naïve. I was awful before. You have every right and reason to be angry.”

“That’s fair,” Lea says and, despite knowing that it’s true, Isa is surprised at how nonchalant Lea is being so far. “Honestly? Maybe I would’ve been pissed at you when we first met those few months ago had I remembered at the time. But I’ve had the chance to get to know you all over again without the past affecting us. Plus, I’ve seen how you are with the kids now. I know you haven’t spent a lot of time with them, but the little time I have seen you spend with them…” He shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno. I can tell by your attitude towards them that you truly do feel terrible for how you treated them before. And I know you’ve done what you can to try and make up for it. I know you’ve tried to be a friend to them. Even if I didn’t understand at the time, I do now.” He places his hands upon Isa’s shoulders. “You’re Isa again. _My_ Isa. And I could never stay angry at you.”

He’s not sure how to respond to this. Turns out, he doesn’t need to, though. Lea doesn’t give him the chance to. Instead, he kisses Isa. It’s deep and tender and overdue. Isa winds his arms around his neck as Lea’s arms wrap around his waist. Their bodies meld perfectly together. Like two finishing pieces of puzzle. A key in a lock.

Isa breaks the kiss with a small chuckle. “You’re soaking wet.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you walk through a downpour,” Lea says. “Not the first time I’ve done this for your, either.”

That’s right. It had been raining the night Isa called Lea about the nightmare and he ended up walking over to comfort him. “Well, you should get out of those clothes or you might freeze,” Isa goes on. “I can lend you more just like I did last time.”

He grins. “Do you plan on warming me up, too?”

He scoffs, though there’s no real heat behind it. “You’re the one who can control fire.”

He’s still grinning as he leans in for another kiss. Speaking of, Isa’s cheeks are on fire. Every kiss sets off another spark beneath his skin. Every kiss leaves him wanting more. Knowing he can finally have Lea, though, allows him to maintain his restraint.

“Let me get you dry clothes,” he says again, taking a step away from Lea. He makes his way for his bedroom, the redhead trailing along behind him. He sorts through a couple of his drawers before pulling out suitable garments for Lea. He hands them over. “I’ll go brew a fresh pot of coffee.”

Lea quirks an eyebrow. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Do you know you say that every time I mention brewing coffee?”

“You do drink a lot of coffee.”

He playfully rolls his eyes at him. “Well, I’m not sure about you, but I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.” He swallows hard. “I don’t want to lose another moment.”

He grins, slipping a single arm around Isa’s waist and pulling him towards him. “Then you better hurry back.”

Yeah. Isa’s face is _definitely_ on fire. He tries to ignore it. To shake it off. He rolls his eyes again as he pushes himself out of the redhead’s grasp. He then leaves him to change as he returns to the kitchen. He dumps the pot of coffee he had made earlier and starts brewing a fresh one. He keeps glancing towards his bedroom door as he waits for the coffee to brew. He wonders if Lea will rejoin him out here or wait for him in the room. The thought of Lea _waiting for him_ sends a chill down his spine. Creates knots in his stomach. Releases a swarm of butterflies.

Once the coffee finishes, Lea still hasn’t made an appearance. Isa pours two cups and heads back into the bedroom. Lea is only half-changed—dry pants with no shirt on—and standing by the window. Isa tilts his head, setting both cups down on his bureau.

“Lea?” he speaks up, making sure his voice is soft.

“Do you hear that?” Lea says.

Isa stops and listens. Huh. He doesn’t hear anything. Wait a second… “The storm—”

“Yeah, it finally stopped. Look.”

He joins the redhead by the window. After what seems like forever, the moon is visible in the sky again. Full and bright. “Just like before,” Isa says.

“What do you mean?”

He swallows hard. “The first time we saw each other again,” he goes on. “It had been the same situation. Raining for at least a week, and then we ran into each other and as soon as I looked at you, the rain stopped, and the sun broke through.”

“That’s right…” Lea smiles. “Well, this time the moon has come out.” He nudges at Isa’s shoulder with this elbow. “Your time to shine.”

He chuckles as he tries and fails to hold back a blush. “I-I made coffee.” He turns to grab the two cups, but Lea grabs his hand first. “Lea—”

He’s cut off by Lea’s lips. This time, the kiss is slow. Languid. Tender. Isa’s hands are resting on Lea’s bare chest and his skin is _warm_. He wants to feel more of him but doesn’t want to push his limits. Push his boundaries. But then he feels Lea’s hands push under his own shirt. He feels Lea’s hands on his skin. Feels the trail of fire as to where they’ve been. Each touch leaves Isa breathless. Each touch leaves him wanting more. He wants more of Lea. Every part of Lea.

“I’ve missed you,” Isa breathes out between kisses.

Lea pulls away momentarily, his breathing heavy. “I missed you, too.” He presses their foreheads together. “I’m here now, though.” Another kiss. “Every memory.” And another. “Every mistake.” And a third. Longer. Harder. “I am never letting go of you again.”

Just then, something snaps in Isa. Tells him to be open. Honest. Vulnerable. So, he wraps his arms around Lea’s neck again. “You better not.”

They spend a lot of time standing by the window and kissing in the light of the moon. They spend a lot of time allowing their hands to roam and feel each other’s bodies. Then they spend some time situating themselves on Isa’s bed. Getting comfortable. Molding into each other. And when a layer of clothing gets in the way, it gets removed.

The two cups of coffee sitting on the bureau across the room grow colder as Isa and Lea grow warmer.

~~~~

Isa wakes up first. Light is peeking through the window, a sliver of it shining across Lea’s peaceful face. He uses this little bit of light to admire the redhead, still fast asleep beside him. He smiles softly at the sight of him. The fact that he’s here is almost too good to be true. It feels more like a dream.

He shifts slightly to get a look at the time. Just shy of six o’clock in the morning. Usually Isa would be waking up at this time anyway to start getting ready for work. Instead, he’s slipping out of bed to find his phone. He discovers it still sitting out on the kitchen counter. As soon as he has it, he reaches out to the bookshop’s owner to let them know he won’t be able to make it in for his shift today. There’s no way in hell he’s going to work and leaving Lea after last night. So, he lies about not feeling well. It’s the exact opposite, though. Hell, he’s never felt better.

Once the message is sent, he returns to his room. To his bed. He slips back under the covers and Lea barely moves. That’s okay. It’s still early; Isa doesn’t want or need him to wake up just yet. He’s enjoying watching him sleep. Watching him breathe. Most of all, though, he’s enjoying the company. He finds himself smiling again as he dares to shift closer to the redhead. He brings a hand up and brushes his fingers through Lea’s hair. Gently plays with it. Lea stirs and shifts his body even closer to Isa’s.

“Good morning,” Lea says, his voice a bit raspy.

Isa blushes at the sound of it. “It’s early. Go back to sleep.”

He hasn’t opened his eyes yet, but he’s wrapping his arms around Isa, pulling him even closer. “Will you stay in bed with me?”

Isa runs his hands along Lea’s still bared chest. “I’ll stay for as long as you want me.”

“Well, it’s only been ten years.” He brushes their lips together in the softest hint of a kiss. “I’d say I’ll want you for ten more.” He presses their lips a little harder. “And then another ten after that.” A full kiss. Chaste. “So on—” This kiss is deeper, “—and so forth.”

They do spend the entire morning in bed. Isa stays up, but Lea dozes off and on. Every time he wakes up, though, he’s kissing Isa. Holding him. Touching him. And every kiss and touch drives Isa wild. He could so easily get lost in Lea. He could get lost in that piercing green gaze. He could get lost in the beating of his heart. It’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard.

It’s noon by the time Isa forces himself out of bed. Lea is reluctant to get up, but he does follow suit. Isa brews a pot of coffee for them, joining Lea on the couch once it’s finished and he’s poured a cup for them both. They’re quiet at first, but Isa is comfortable. Serene. Yet, there’s something nagging him at the back of his mind.

“I am sorry about everything that happened before,” he speaks up.

Lea sips at his coffee. “What do you mean?”

He clears his throat. “The Organisation.”

He pauses before setting his mug down and shifting his entire body to face Isa. “Listen, an apology isn’t necessary. That’s all in the past now. Honestly? It’s just not that important anymore.”

“Hmm.” He sets his mug down, as well. “I don’t feel that way. I feel I do need to apologise. I mean, I did a lot of terrible things before.”

“I did some terrible things, too. Said some terrible things.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Still no need to apologise. It all happened for a reason.”

“What reason could that be?”

He takes a deep breath. “To prove our place in each other’s lives,” he goes on. “Everything that happened… It proves that we can make it through hell and back.” Isa thinks back on his talk with Xion, Lea’s words reminiscent of hers. “Even if it didn’t seem like it at the time. Because if we couldn’t, I’m not so sure we’d be here like this right now. Which brings me to my next thing.” He takes Isa’s hands in his own. “I wanted to thank you.”

Isa is a bit taken aback by this. “For what?”

He smiles softly. “For making us wait for me to regain my memories. It really is already so much better this way. It’ll be better being able to reminisce and share our childhood. Even our trauma from the Organisation.” He kisses the back of one of Isa’s hands. He then kisses the palm of the hand Isa had cut a few weeks earlier. “But I’m also glad we were able to become friends again first.”

Isa swallows hard, returning the smile. “Me too, Lea.”

His smile grows a bit as he leans forward and captures Isa’s lips in a simple yet searing kiss. A kiss that takes Isa’s breath away. A kiss that gives Isa the courage to push Lea back and crawl over him. Lea is smiling against Isa’s lips and it only leaves Isa wanting more. Desiring all of the redhead.

Their coffee grows cold yet again.

Now Isa is the one dozing off. He’s in Lea’s arms and Lea is playing with his hair. Running his fingers through it. Gently massaging his head. That’s what’ll make Isa fall asleep. He lets out a content sigh. The last twelve hours have been perfect; he wouldn’t change them for the world. Then a thought hits him. A thought he had meant to ask earlier before the redhead started kissing him again.

“Lea?”

“Hmm?”

“How exactly do you plan on approaching Roxas and Xion now that your memories have been restored?”

His hand freezes and Isa almost regrets asking the question. “Shit,” he says. He continues brushing his fingers through Isa’s hair. “I haven’t even thought about that yet.”

Isa chuckles softly. Typical Lea. Never thinking anything through. Hell, he probably hadn’t even thought last night through. Not that Isa minds. He’s glad he showed up. He’s glad he remembers. He’s glad they can finally be together. Hearts and all.

“Isa?”

He looks up at Lea. At those brilliant green eyes. “Yes?”

He kisses his forehead. “I’ll figure it out. One step at a time. I mean, they can’t hate me too much, right? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered putting up with me all this time. Besides, now that we all have our memories of the past, it should be easier. Less tiptoeing around that the three of you will have to do.”

It’s that comment that allows the truth to fully settle within Isa’s mind. Lea really has finally regained his memories. _Less tiptoeing around_ … Yeah, it will be easier.

“Y’know,” Lea goes on, “it was your _got it memorised_ comment that made me start taking those psychology courses. I mean, it was that single comment that gave me the feeling I was forgetting something in the first place.”

Isa nods. “Something seemed off after I had said that.”

“Yeah…” He sighs softly. “I was hoping the classes would trigger something.” He glances down at Isa. Pulls his hand from his blue locks and lightly traces over the scar across the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe I asked you about this. I’m so sorry.”

Isa closes his eyes. “It’s fine. You didn’t know any better at the time.”

“Still. I had no right to ask.” He chuckles half-heartedly. Sheepishly. “And you told me you couldn’t remember how it happened. Tch. I’m such a jackass.”

“Well, that’s not a total lie,” he says. He opens his eyes. “Sometimes I truly don’t remember how it happened. I mean, it was so quick, after all…” He sighs. “Then I’ll have a nightmare about it and remember all over again.”

Lea swallows hard. “Roxas and Xion would talk about having nightmares. Xion more often than Roxas. I always asked them to talk to me about it, but they always told me that they couldn’t. Now I understand why.” He shakes his head. “I wish I could’ve been way more helpful to them these last few months.”

“You’ve helped them more than you realise. Trust me, I can tell. And they don’t hate you at all; they care about you tremendously. I got _the talk_ from them and everything.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?”

He pauses for a moment. “Don’t get mad, but the kids originally told me to stay away from you.”

His eyes widen a bit. “What? Are you serious? How did you respond?”

“I told them I wouldn’t actively ignore you if you tried to get to know me.”

He scoffs. “I can’t believe they wouldn’t even give you a second chance.”

“Don’t get mad,” he says again. “They were only looking out for you.”

Now he’s chuckling. “I love that you’re defending them.”

“They didn’t know any better. Just like you hadn’t known better when you asked about the scar.”

“Yeah, yeah…” He rolls his eyes, but Isa can tell he’s joking. There’s no real heat behind the action. “Either way, they’ve been better with you.”

“Because they said they could tell how happy you are.” He pauses for a brief moment, thinking. “Actually, they had apparently been under the impression that we were already dating.”

“I know, they mentioned that to me when I told them about—” He stops short, clearing his throat. “It was when I took you out to The Sunset Room. That afternoon basically shifted their perception of us.”

“Did you do that on purpose?”

There’s a hint of pink in Lea’s cheeks. “I may have.”

Isa smiles softly. “What now, then? Do we tell them?”

“Not sure it’ll make a difference. They’ll figure it out no matter what. I mean, we haven’t been speaking for nearly a month, so the fact that we’ll be spending time together again will most likely be a dead giveaway.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Another pause. “Has it really been almost a month?”

Lea nods. “If you can believe it, yeah.” He shifts slightly, wrapping his arms around Isa and pulling him even closer to him. “No more wasting time. Ten years was long enough. Plus, it took almost half a year to even get to this point. So, I’m done waiting. I’m done wasting time. I’m ready to finally be with you.”

Isa takes a deep breath. He’s still scared as hell about how this may go, but he’s ready, nevertheless. After all, Lea is right. Too much time has been wasted. Lost. And sometimes Isa fears there won’t be enough time to make up for it all. So, he’s ready to jump in. To take the dive. So long as Lea is at his side—

“I’m ready, too,” Isa says, finishing his thought out loud. “Turning you away before was hard enough. I don’t ever want that to have to do that again.”

“You won’t.” He cups his cheek, stroking it with his thumb. “It’ll never come to that.”

They’re kissing again. For the umpteenth time. Isa could spend the rest of his new existence doing nothing except kissing Lea and he wouldn’t complain. Every kiss is better than the last. Every kiss sends a spark coursing through his veins. And each spark is more electrifying than the last. This is what he wants to feel for the rest of his life. If nothing else. He would be perfectly content with this. Lea. His best friend. His one and only.

~~~~

Lea’s reunion with Roxas and Xion after regaining his memories was…touching. Isa felt honoured, in a sense, to be a part of it. He couldn’t help but laugh at how much of a crybaby Lea still is. The kids were understandable, of course. Witnessing the three of them interact with all of Lea’s memories intact, though… It had been surreal, to say the least. Then witnessing their reaction when Lea informed them that he and Isa are officially dating was heart-stopping. They took it exceedingly well; Isa couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Now the four of them are all inseparable. Isa loves it. He loves being able to spend time with the kids without Lea being there and without it being awkward. He loves when Lea tells him that the kids have asked about him when they haven’t seen each other for a while. And he loves being able to kiss and touch Lea whenever he wants. He loves their moments of silence, as well as their long conversations. In-depth talks about the past, whether it be as far back as their childhood or just about the Organisation. Isa used to never want to even _think_ about that decade of his life, but Lea makes discussing it so much easier. It’s not as painful. And each time they do talk about it, it feels further and further away. Like a distant memory or a far-off dream.

It’s been a month now since Lea regained his memories. Isa is sitting at the kitchen table reading while Lea is spread across the couch, hands folded behind his back and eyes closed. Not sleeping but resting his eyes. Isa glances over at him. Smiles at how peaceful he looks. He watches the rise and fall of his chest. He tilts his head. Of all the things he and Lea have spent so much time discussing, there are still words that have been left unspoken. Words that don’t necessarily need to be said, but Isa still wants to. He’s just not sure how. Right now, though, in this moment, something comes over him and he no longer feels afraid to be vulnerable.

“Lea.”

“Isa.” He doesn’t miss a beat. As if he had bene anticipating his name to be spoken.

He closes the book and gets up to move himself to the couch. While he’s moving, Lea’s eyes crack open and he sits up to make room. Isa sits beside him, as close as he can without physically being on the other’s lap. He’s almost surprised Lea doesn’t automatically pull him onto his lap.

“You should move in with me,” Isa goes on.

“What? Where is this coming from?”

“You spend most of your time between here and across the hall anyhow. It would make sense for you to move in with me.” He swallows hard. “I want you to move in. This place only ever feels like home when you’re here with me and I know now that it’s because my home is wherever you are. My home…is you.”

“Isa…” His name comes out sounding breathless. “You really want that? I mean, I thought you enjoyed having a place to yourself.”

“It’s not like you’re always home. I’ll have time to myself when you’re at work. Believe it or not, though, I hate always being alone. But I love being with you.”

He smiles and nods his head. “Well, you don’t have to ask me twice.” This is when he pulls Isa onto his lap. “I love being with you, too.” He kisses the bridge of his nose. “So, I would love to move in with you.”

Isa smiles softly. “I’m glad.” He presses their foreheads together, closing his eyes. “There’s one more thing.”

“What could be better?”

Nothing. Nothing could possibly be better. After living for so long with the fear of Lea never regaining his memories, there truly isn’t anything better than them being able to be together. And now that they can be—not that they are—Isa will never let Lea go again. Even if, for some odd reason, Lea loses his memories all over again tomorrow, Isa will stand by him. Just like he knows that if he were to somehow lose his own memories, Lea would stand by him, as well. After all, Isa knows now that they can make it through anything. Hell, they withstood their time in the Organisation. So, Isa knows he has nothing to fear. He knows they can never stay mad. That no loss of memory can keep them apart. They will always find their way back to each other. And, because of that, Isa knows that what he wants to say next is better than anything they’ve experienced together so far.

“Well?” Lea speaks up. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

“Don’t be so impatient,” Isa says.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll cut you off midsentence.”

“You do that anyway.”

He grins. “True.” He kisses him. It’s deep and languid. Sensual. Isa loses himself in it. “So?” he says against his lips. “What more did you want to say?”

Shit. The kiss almost made Isa forget. He pulls away from Lea. Far enough to be able to look into his eyes. He brushes a few out-of-place strands of hair from his face. Lea is looking at him with heavy anticipation. Waiting. The look is causing Isa to lose his breath. And he won’t be able to speak his mind if he can’t breathe. When he opens his mouth to finally say what he wants, there’s a knock on the front door.

“Impeccable timing,” Isa says instead.

“Ignore it,” Lea says, trying to pull Isa back to his lap as he gets to his feet. “C’mon, please come back.”

Isa chuckles softly. “Stop being such a child.” He reaches the door and opens it. The kids are standing on the other side. “You two got off work early.”

“A fuse blew at the restaurant and it lost power,” Xion says. “Beautiful as the sunset lighting is, it’s not enough to actually light the place in its entirety.” She looks at Isa, and then glances behind him. “We’re not interrupting anything, are we?”

“Yeah, actually, you are,” Lea says, appearing beside Isa and wrapping an arm around his waist. “What do you want?”

“For you to drop the attitude,” Roxas says, granting himself entrance and pushing past the two of them. “Thanks for inviting us over.”

Isa shakes his head. “Please, come in.”

Xion follows suit. “We’ll take care of dinner tonight in exchange for the company.”

So, the four of them spend the evening together. On nights like these, Isa sits back and just enjoys the conversation between Lea, Roxas, and Xion. He enjoys the miniscule arguments between Lea and Roxas. Bickering like two brothers. He enjoys how Xion always settles it with a single word. Like the reasonable sister. It’s on nights like these that Isa realises just how much these three people mean to him. As children, he used to always say that he wouldn’t know what to do without Lea. Now, though, he wouldn’t know what to do without any of three of them.

He couldn’t ask for better company. For a better family.

~~~~

Although the sun has been shining again, the air has been cool and crisp. The changing of the seasons. And it’s even chillier at night. Yet, Isa still finds himself standing atop the roof of the apartment complex, admiring the night sky. Bright and glowing. The moon full. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Soon enough, a strong pair of arms are wrapping themselves around his waist. Lea rests his chin on Isa’s shoulder.

“Honey, I’m home,” he says, breaking the stillness.

He places his hands over Lea’s, relishing in his warmth. “I’m glad.”

“Y’know, you’re even more beautiful than the moon,” he goes on.

Isa’s cheeks flush. “Shut up.”

“I mean it.”

“Well,” he turns in Lea’s arms to face him, “you shine brighter than the sun.” The redhead smiles at this as Isa slides his hands up his chest and onto his shoulders. “It’s obnoxious.”

He laughs. “ _You little_ —”

Isa kisses him before he can finish his thought. Except they’re both smiling and laughing, so the kiss is more teeth than lips.

“All right, all right…” Lea pulls away. “So, what were you gonna say the other night before the little twerps interrupted us?”

Huh. He’s almost taken aback by this. By the fact that he’s bringing it up _now_. So many days later. “You’re still thinking about that?”

“Of course. Haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“Why haven’t you brought it up sooner, then?”

“There hasn’t been a good time until now.”

He swallows hard, the atmosphere suddenly feeling heavy. Intense. But in a good way. Huh. Well, he’s always been the straightforward type, and there’s no sense in beating around the bush at this point. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you,” he says, keeping his voice low. “Lea… I love you.”

He smiles and presses their foreheads together. “Damn it, Isa.” He kisses him hard. It’s deep and passionate and heated. It leaves Isa breathless, just as every kiss does. “I love you, too. I always have.”

“Always?”

He brushes Isa’s hair behind his ear. “You don’t believe me?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Good because it’s the truth.” He cups one of Isa’s cheeks. “I’ve always loved you.” Then he cups the other. “And I always will.”

Isa is blushing. He can feel it, but he hopes Lea can’t see it. Not that it matters. He’s been as vulnerable as he can be with the redhead. So, he’s not sure why he would be so concerned about him seeing him blush when he’s already seen everything else.

“C’mon,” Isa goes on. “It’s cold out here.”

They head back inside. Back to the apartment. The place they’ll soon be living in together. The place Isa will finally be able to call home. It’s not the place itself, though. Just like he had said before: Wherever he is with Lea will always be home. Lea himself is home.

“Do you want coffee?” Isa asks once they’re back inside.

Lea laughs. “It’s almost one o’clock in the morning.”

“Is that a no?”

He joins Isa in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around his waist so that they’re standing the same way they had been on the roof. “I think you have a problem.”

“You?”

He purses his lips and rolls his eyes. “Y’know, I almost forgot what you were like with an actual personality.”

“Well, you better _get it memorised_.”

“Oh, that’s it.”

Lea takes a step back before lifting Isa and practically tossing him over his shoulder. Isa lets out a _yelp_ at the motion, unable to fully process what’s happening. By the time he does, he’s being thrown onto the bed and Lea is crawling over him.

“What the hell was that for?” Isa asks, trying to catch his breath. Trying to still process what had just happened.

Lea grins. “Let’s call it punishment for your sarcasm.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“An idiot you fell in love with.”

He can’t deny that. “You’re right. I am in love with you.”

Now Lea is the one blushing. He doesn’t seem to be ashamed of it, though. Nor should he be. He’s beautiful when he blushes. That hint of pink is so much more flattering than the two purple marks that used to grace his cheeks. He brings his hands up to hold Lea’s face, tracing his thumbs over where those upside-down teardrops used to be. Lea closes his eyes and leans into the touch.

“If I ever lose sight of you again—” Lea starts.

“Don’t worry,” Isa says. “If you lose sight, I’ll just hold on tighter. If you forget every other day, I’ll still remain at your side. I will never walk away from you. I will never let go. You are everything to me and nothing can ever change that.”

He smiles softly. “Man, you’re such a sap.”

“You bring it out in me.”

He presses their foreheads together. “You mean it? You’ll never leave me?”

His hands slip from Lea’s face and down to his shoulders. “I’ll be here for as long as you want me.” He’s said this before, but no harm in saying it again. If there ever came a day when Lea no longer wanted him, Isa would go. It would hurt like hell, but he’d do anything to ensure Lea’s happiness. Even if that meant no longer being a part of his life. “However long that may be.”

He brushes his lips over Isa’s in the most delicate of kisses. “Forever. I’ll want you forever and always.”

“I sure as hell hope so.”

“I will. I promise. And you better get _that_ memorised.”

He chuckles. “I will.” He pulls Lea down for a kiss. It’s deep and passionate and sends fire coursing through Isa’s veins. It leaves him breathless. Leaves him wanting more. He always wants more. One kiss is never enough. One touch is never enough. Lea is more than enough, but he can never get enough of Lea. “I love you.”

He kisses one of Isa’s cheek. “I love you, too.” And the other cheek. “More than anything.” And the tip of his nose. “And I will spend every day proving that to you.”

Isa blushes softly. “Who’s the sap now?”

“What can I say?” He grins. “You bring it out in me.”

He rolls his eyes before pushing against Lea’s shoulders. “Obnoxious as ever.” He flips them over so that he’s the one towering over the redhead, gently pinning him to the bed. “Lucky for you, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good because I can be worse.”

“Oh, I believe it.”

Now Lea is the one pulling Isa down for a kiss. He lets his body press into Lea’s. Lets them mold together. Lets himself get lost in a feeling he’ll never get used to. A feeling he never _wants_ to get used to. He always wants these moments to be exhilarating. Profound. He wants them to leave the world behind. To slow the passage of time. And in these moments, he wants to know nothing except Lea.

Two heartbeats beating as one.

~~~~

Isa paces his apartment, his stomach twisting into knots. He’s anxious, but in a good way. An excited way. He’s been planning this for a little while now and the day has finally arrived when he, Lea, Roxas, and Xion all have the same day off. The perfect day, too. Absolute perfect weather conditions, considering the season. It couldn’t have worked out better.

He hears a key in the lock, and he stops to watch the front door of the apartment swing open. Lea walks in first, the kids following close behind him. Lea and Roxas are bickering about—Well, _something_. Xion is shaking her head at them as she closes the door. She looks exasperated as she walks up to Isa.

“They’ve been like this since we left the restaurant,” she says. “I’m losing my mind.”

He chuckles softly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He looks at the other two and clears his throat. Almost instantaneously, they both shut up and look back at Isa. “Are you two just about finished?”

“Yeah.” Lea nods his head. “As soon as Roxas admits he’s wrong.”

Roxas is shaking his head. “Nuh-uh. Never gonna happen.”

The two of them pick back up on their bickering and Isa focuses on Xion again. “What is this about?”

“That’s the worst part,” she says. “I’m not even sure. They just always find something to disagree on. I don’t know what it is with these two.”

He purses his lips. “I have a treat that you two won’t get unless you stop bickering.”

Once again, they shut up midsentence. Lea’s hands go to his hips. “Are you seriously trying to bribe me with some treat?” he asks. “I’m a grown-ass man.”

Isa quirks an eyebrow. “Grown?”

Roxas laughs. “Gotcha.”

Lea makes a face at the kid. “Shut up.”

“All right, that’s enough,” Xion goes on, although she is chuckling under her breath. She turns to Isa. “What’s with you, by the way? What’s this treat you have and why was it so imperative for us to get here by this time?”

Isa smiles softly, “Head back out to the hall. I’ll be right there.”

The three of them exit the apartment without so much as questioning Isa’s intentions. He then goes to his freezer and pulls out the sea salt ice cream bars he had purchased earlier. He holds them behind his back as he reunites with the three in the hall.

“What’s going on?” Roxas asks.

“Go to the stairs,” Isa says. “And head all the way up.”

And, still, no one asks any questions yet. Roxas takes the lead, skipping steps as he practically runs up the stairwell. Xion tries to keep up with him, but Lea stays behind with Isa. Neither of them says anything, but the silence is comfortable. Comforting.

“Hey, when you said all the way up,” Roxas starts, “did you literally mean all the way up? Like all the way to the roof?”

“That’s exactly what I meant,” Isa says as he and Lea catch up with the kids. They’ve come to a halt at the door leading to the complex’s rooftop. “Keep going.”

Xion steps through the doorway first. Roxas follows her and Isa gestures for Lea to go on ahead, as well. Isa steps onto the roof last and stops to look at the other three with their silhouettes against a sunset backdrop.

“I never realised how incredible of a view there is up here,” Xion says. “Oh, and the _sky_ …” She lets out a content, awestruck sigh.

“Here.” Isa reveals the sea salt ice cream bars from behind his back and passes them out to the three of them. “I know it’s no clock tower and it’s definitely not Twilight Town, but…” He shrugs his shoulders. “I thought maybe you three could use the rooftop as your new spot.”

Lea smiles wide. “Holy shit…” He steps up to Isa, slipping an arm around his waist. “You are so incredible.”

He can’t hold back the blush. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s everything.”

Lea kisses the bridge of Isa’s nose before stepping away from him. He and the kids then walk over the roof’s ledge—towards the sunset—as they unwrap their ice cream bars. Isa watches them for another moment before looking down at the last ice cream bar left in his own hand. He smiles…sheepishly. He takes one last glance at the trio before turning to head back inside.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Roxas calls over to him.

He turns on his heel. “Oh, I—”

“You can’t just hand us a good thing and then walk away,” Xion goes on.

“Watching the sunset like this is your thing,” Isa says. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“You came up with this, though,” Lea says. “That makes you part of it. So that means it’s _our_ thing now.” Lea holds his arm out. Open. “C’mere.” There’s that prickling feeling of tears behind Isa’s eyes. He crosses the roof to join the others, sliding into the open space beside Lea. Sliding into his outstretched reach and allowing his arm to wrap around him. Lea grins. “Much better.”

Xion giggles. “You two are so cute.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty disgusting,” Roxas says.

Isa doesn’t take offence to this. He knows it wasn’t meant to be offencive. He just stands in Lea’s warmth while also basking in the warmth of the setting sun. And it is warm despite the change of the season. Despite the ice cream he’s eating. The company is warm. They all stand in silence as they eat their ice cream and enjoy the sunset. Soon enough, though, Isa feels Lea’s head turn. Feels the tickle of hair by his ear and on his neck.

“Thank you for this,” Lea says to him and only him. Isa doesn’t say anything in response; he just looks at him and smiles. Lea returns the smile before focusing his attention on the sunset again. Then his smile turns into a wide grin. “Betcha don’t know why the sun sets red.”

Both kids burst out laughing at this. Isa only shakes his head, chuckling under his breath. Then they all quiet down again, taking the last bites of their ice cream bars. When they do finish, they set the sticks down on the roof’s ledge as Lea pulls out his phone. He forces the four of them to squeeze together for a picture. And they turn to use the sunset as their background. Isa and Lea are on either side of the kids now as Lea takes the shot. Xion is laughing the entire time. And as soon as the picture is taken, Roxas breaks away.

“All right, I think that’s enough family time for today,” he says. “I’ll race ya back down to the apartment.”

Xion straightens up. “Oh, you’re _on_.”

The two of them are across the roof and through the door in an instant. Lea is shaking his head at them, chuckling. “Those two certainly know how to keep you on your toes.”

“Well, they can finally be kids,” Isa says.

Lea pockets his phone and turns so that he’s facing Isa directly. “Thank you.”

Isa slides his hands up Lea’s chest and to his shoulders. “You said that already.”

“I mean it.” He tugs gently at Isa’s hips, pulling him even closer. “This means more than you may realise.” He presses their foreheads together. “Especially to the kids.”

“When I first brought up the ice cream to Roxas, he made a comment about now needing to find a new clock tower.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I thought this would make do.”

“It’s perfect.” He kisses the bridge of his nose. “You’re perfect.”

Isa holds back a scoff. “Far from.”

Lea smiles, nevertheless. “I’ll spend every day proving you wrong.”

Now Isa stifles a chuckle as he pushes Lea away. They then make their way back inside, as well. Upon returning to the apartment, they find Roxas and Xion are waiting for them.

“Who won?” Lea asks.

“It was a tie,” Roxas says.

“It was _not_ ,” Xion goes on. “I won. He just doesn’t want to admit it.”

“Not true.”

“That’s enough,” Isa speaks up. “Xion, congratulations. Roxas, don’t be a sore loser.”

Xion bursts into laughter as Roxas’s jaw drops. Lea starts laughing at the way Isa simply shrugs his shoulders in response. So nonchalant. Roxas scoffs and Isa then smiles. It’s small, but it’s still a smile. He loves being able to be himself around the kids. He loves that the kids have learned his personality already. That they can all joke together. Lea loves it, too. And Isa loves that Lea loves it.

It’s not much longer the kids hang around before they’re returning across the hall to their own apartment. As soon as they’re gone, Lea is all over Isa. Kissing every inch of skin he has access to. Isa relishes in it, but still finds the sense to push Lea away.

“Would you relax?” he says with a gentle laugh. “You’re so impatient.”

Lea’s chuckle sends a shiver down Isa’s spine. “C’mon, you don’t really want me to stop, do you?”

And that comment sends his eyes rolling. “There you go, being obnoxious again.”

He’s grinning as his lips return to Isa’s neck. “You love it.”

He lets out a soft hum. “Lea…”

He leaves one last lingering kiss against Isa’s jawline before stepping back. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.” He pushes a strand of hair behind Isa’s ear. “You truly are beautiful.”

Isa can’t help the blush. “Flattering me isn’t going to change my mind.”

“Hey,” he pulls his hand away, “that’s not what I was getting at.”

Isa takes Lea’s hovering hand in his own. “I know.” He smiles the smile he reserves for the redhead and no one else. “Trust me, I know.”

“Hmm.” He licks his lips and pauses. “Y’know, the sea salt ice cream here is pretty good, but it makes me miss Twilight Town. I wonder if we’ll ever have the chance to go back there.”

“I wonder if we’ll ever have an opportunity to see Radiant Garden again.”

“Yeah, that’s another one…” He lets out a soft sigh. “I do like it here, though. Nothing bad has happened here. There aren’t any bad memories attached to this place, y’know? And I think that’s good enough for me. It may not be the home we remember or the home we grew up in or even the home we wanted, but—”

“You are my home,” Isa speaks up. “The world doesn’t matter, so long as I have you at my side.”

Lea’s cheeks flush a deep shade a pink. The colour clashes with his hair. He’s still smiling, though. “I like when you can be open about your feelings. It’s refreshing.”

“After a decade of being emotionless, you’re not wrong. It’s refreshing for me, too.” Isa meets Lea’s gaze. “I don’t ever want to close myself off to you again.”

Lea pushes Isa’s hair behind his ears before cupping his cheeks. “I won’t let you. No matter how difficult it may get, I’ll make sure we are always open and honest with each other.” He kisses his forehead. “I promise.”

Isa believes him. He has no reason not to. He believes in Lea and he believes in them. This may just be the beginning, but the road ahead of them is long and filled with light. They have time to makes things better. They have time to correct their mistakes. They have time to grow into the best versions of themselves.

They have time.

~~~~

Isa and Lea end up being on mostly opposite schedules for the next couple of weeks. Isa always working in the mornings and Lea always working in the evenings. By the time Isa gets home, Lea has already left for work. By the time Lea gets home, Isa is already sleeping. So, even with living together, they don’t have much time to spend together.

There’s one day Isa finally manages to leave the bookshop early. It’s slow enough, and he convinces his coworkers that three people are not needed. They agree and let him leave halfway through his shift. It’s a miracle, really.

Before heading back to the apartment, Isa makes his way for a small print shop. This is another thing he’s been meaning to do for _weeks_ now, but the print shop has such odd hours; he always ends up just missing them. Not today, though. Today he manages to get there in time. It’s just a single photo he needs printed, but this photo is only the start. And it’s the perfect start.

Once he gets back to the apartment, he makes sure Lea has definitely already left for work. As soon as he confirms he has, the hunt for the perfect spot begins. Isa looks around the walls and the few side tables he has. It needs to be someplace noticeable, yet not too in the way. Someplace where he won’t have to point it out. He doesn’t want to have to point it out.

He ends up heading back out. There’s an antique shop right around the corner from the complex and Isa has been eyeing a miniature desk there for months. Today is the day he gets it. And he builds it the moment he gets back to the apartment, placing it in the little nook next to the bedroom door. He then grabs his homemade frame and slides the picture inside. He sets it atop the desk and takes a step back.

Perfect.

He spends the rest of the evening reading on the couch. Every so often, though, he lifts his head and looks over at the desk. He looks at the picture and smiles.

It’s just before midnight when he hears voices out in the hall. Footsteps coming closer. The kids must’ve been working tonight, as well. Isa tries to remain calm. Remain reading. He tries not to anticipate Lea’s reaction. But then the chatter ceases, and he hears the key in the lock. The door swings open and Isa can tell that Lea is about to tiptoe his way in, but he freezes when he sees him sitting on the couch. A grin breaks out across that _gorgeous_ face of his and Isa can feel himself blushing.

“You’re up,” Lea says.

Isa sets the book down. “Welcome home.”

Lea shuts the door behind him and is on the couch in an instant. He pulls Isa close to him, keeping his arms wrapped tight around him. “How was your day?”

“Got to leave work early.”

“What? You played hooky without me?”

He chuckles. “I did nothing of the sort. I had some important errands to run and it was slow enough at the shop.”

Lea quirks an eyebrow. “What kind of important errands?”

“Well, if you actually took note of your surroundings, you might be able to answer your own question.”

“Huh.” And Lea does look around. He turns his head every which way, trying not to move too much. Soon enough, he reluctantly gets back to his feet. As soon as he’s standing, his eyes land on the desk. Isa hears the breath catch in his throat. “Isa…” He walks around the couch and over to the small desk, picking up the frame. “The picture I took of us and kids from the night you brought us to the rooftop,” he says. Then he’s chuckling. “And is the frame made up of the ice cream sticks?”

“You told me this place was boring and I told you I would start decorating once I felt like I was home,” Isa says, and Lea looks over his shoulder at him. “Well, we established that my home is wherever you are, so I figured it was finally time to start decorating.”

“Isa…” He places the frame down and the look of utter adoration on his face causes Isa to blush all over again. Lea wastes no time returning to Isa, crawling over the back of the couch rather than walking around it. Isa laughs at this, adjusting his position to allow room for Lea’s graceful collapse over the back. “You’re incredible, you know that?” Lea goes on once he’s in an upright position.

“I figured it was the perfect place to start.” Isa brings a hand up to Lea’s face, brushing his thumb along his cheek. “The rest of the decorating we can do together.”

“I bet the kids would be willing to help, as well.” Lea leans into the touch, closing his eyes. “Either way,” he reopens them, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Isa is, too. He’s looking forward to every aspect of what’s to come. To decorating more. To building a life with Lea. Creating a home with Lea. _It may not be the home we remember or the home we grew up in or even the home we wanted_ —It doesn’t matter. None of that matters because it’s still their home.

They are home.

**Author's Note:**

> First image by [@PoppetNoix](https://twitter.com/PoppetNoix) on twitter  
> Second image by [@artemisDisciple](https://twitter.com/artemisDisciple) on twitter
> 
> Thank you so much to both artists for recreating their respective scenes so beautifully!! <3
> 
> Also, find me here [@Supernova_Sage](https://twitter.com/Supernova_Sage) for more LeaIsa & AkuSai shenanigans :3


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